How Technology is Changing Teen Driving for the Better

When your child slides into that driver's seat for the first time, they're excitedly thinking, "Freedom!" And you're most likely anxiously asking, "Where did the time go?"

It's hard to realize that your "little one" is already ready to take the wheel, but take heart. Technology, which has changed every facet of our lives in both good and bad ways, is a benefit to teen drivers, thanks to the innovations of new vehicle technologies that improve driver safety. 

We'll review those safety features in vehicles, as well as note some safety apps that can offset a major risk for teens - distracted driving. We'll also highlight how car insurance under parents will be cheaper if the vehicle that teens drive is equipped with tech safety features.

Driving today is much easier than it was even ten years ago, thanks to the in-vehicle safety features that help reduce the risk of collision, many of which are now standard.

The Safety Dream Car

If you're gifting your new driver a new car, avoid the mistake of buying a car that your teen has fallen in love with without checking the make and model's reliability and its safety features - and taking at least a 30-minute test drive to double-check that everything works right.

The optimal safety features include:

• Active head restraints, moving up and forward in a rear crash to cradle your head and absorb energy to mitigate an injury from whiplash
• Adaptive cruise control
• Adaptive headlights, which pivot toward the direction you're traveling and improve visibility around curves
• Anti-lock brakes
• Automatic emergency braking
• Automatic high beams
• Backup camera, a federal requirement on all new cars since 2018
• Blind spot detection
• Brake assist
• Electronic stability control
• Forward collision warning
• Front airbags
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keeping assist
• Parking assist system
• Pedestrian detection
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Safety belts

With all of that, it seems as though the car could drive itself. We're not quite there yet, which is why parents should review all of these features with their new teen driver. It seems like a daunting list, but teens learn a lot faster than we do, and it's a good driver-safety refresher for you, too.

A Car that Can Call for Help

If, heaven forbid, something did happen while your teen was driving, in-car technology can come to the rescue. Several major automakers offer telematics, a vehicle tracking device in which the driver can communicate with a central dispatch system at the touch of a button. 

Through systems such as BMW Assist, GM OnStar, Hyundai Blue Link, Kia UVO, and Toyota Safety Connect, this automated service can identify nearby emergency services or provide emergency aid on request.

And if an airbag deploys, the system will automatically notify the dispatch center, locate the vehicle, and summon emergency service if the driver doesn't respond to a phone-based inquiry.

On a less worrisome note, these devices can also provide route directions if your teen gets lost, as well as even start, unlock your car, and beep the horn if you misplace your car in a large parking lot.

Safety Savings on Car Insurance

A side benefit of all of these safety features is how they can save you on your car insurance. And you'll want to get all of the discounts you can since adding a young new driver to a car insurance policy can cause the rate to increase by around 130 percent.

Each safety feature on your car can net you an insurance discount. But you need to check with your insurance company, since each carrier offers a different percentage. For example, for having anti-lock brakes, Allstate's discount is 10%, while 21st Century Insurance's discount is only 5%.

Another safety-related factor that can save on your car insurance is having your teen take a driver education/defensive driving course, which can reduce your rate up to 10%. You can also net up to 25% off of your rate if your teen does well in school with the "good student" discount, for students who maintain a B average.

While your insurance cost will rise with a new teen driver, it still wouldn't cost as much as if your teen tried to get car insurance on their own - a fact that unfortunately carries over until they reach age 25, the cut-off age for when insurers consider drivers at their highest risk.

So that good student discount can continue when they go to college, where you could be eligible for the "resident student" discount. If your child's college is at least 100 miles from your residence, and the car they usually drive is being left safe at your home while they live on campus, you could save up to another 25% off of your rate.

The Tech Challenge for Teen Drivers

While spending too much time on social media can be detrimental to teenagers' mental health, spending any time on social media while driving can be much worse. Texting while driving is the top driving distraction for teens. 

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, texting while driving causes nearly a dozen teen deaths every day.

With driver assist warnings, there's already enough tech for your teen to deal with in the vehicle. Ideally, they could turn off their cell phone, or put it on Silent Mode, or even give it to someone else in the car and ask them to help you navigate, send a text, or make a call.

But how many teens will actually do that? Don't despair; there's an app to help.

Apps to Counter Distracted Driving

There are several choices for phone-blocking, safety-encourage apps to help refrain from driving and texting. Some even provide perks for good driving behavior like: 

• AT&T Drive Mode
• Canary
• Cellcontrol
• DriverMode
• DriveSafe.ly
• LifeSaver
• SafeDrive
• Samsung's In-Traffic Reply
• Sprint's Drive First
• TextNinja
• Verizon's Safely Go

Tech Helpers for Parents

Teenagers are champing at the bit to be independent, but they still need parental guidance - especially for something as major as operating a motor vehicle. Thanks to advances in technology, parents have ways to keep their driving teen in check.

Smart Cars, Smart Devices, and Smart Apps

Car companies are prioritizing teen safety. For example, Ford and Lincoln offer MyKey, which started in 2017. When a programmed key is inserted into the ignition, the system reads a transponder chip and identifies the MyKey code for the driver.

This activates driving mode settings selected by the parent, such as a chiming seat-belt reminder, speed settings, earlier low-fuel warnings, and even screened radio content.

And GM has Teen Driver technology which was introduced in 2016 with its Chevy Malibu and is now standard on several Cadillac, GMC, and Buick models. Its features include sound system maximum volume control, speed control, safety system activation recording, over-speed warnings, and radio mute until seat belts are buckled. 

The tech keeps a teen driver aware of their driving habits in real-time with warning chimes and an in-vehicle report card. Hyundai and Kia launched similar systems in 2017.

There are also a variety of smartphone apps for parents to monitor teen's driving. Some alert parents if their teen drives faster than a pre-set limit, drives outside a certain area or gets in a vehicle accident. 

In fact, some of the best insurance companies can do this for families by putting telematics to work for pay-as-you-drive or usage-based insurance. This insurance is based on information collected via a mobile app or a plug-in and includes the number of miles you drive, your speed, your braking, and when you drive.

If your new driver turns out to be a safe driver, you could save up to 30% on car insurance.

Review Driving Do's and Don'ts

While technology has improved driving, it can't do the full job of monitoring your driver. Plus, some parents may not feel comfortable or have the resources for the teen driver monitoring technology. Doing a few things old school can always help enhance a parent's peace of mind.

Talk with your teens about the responsibilities of driving. Share your stories about driving, from when you first started to what you've learned since. Review your state's laws and tell them what can happen if they speed, if they drink and drive, and if they take their eyes off the road for even a second. 

Drive home the fact that they could lose their right to drive, as well as endanger the lives of their friends, themselves, and other drivers on the road.

Keeping Your New Driver Safe 

A tried and true low-tech way to keep your new driver safe? Simply be prepared. Make sure the vehicle your teen is driving is equipped with some basics in case of emergency.

These items include a first aid kit, flashlight, tire pressure gauge, spare tire, car jack, lug wrench, jumper cables, owner's manual, proper paperwork, pens, duct tape, water, napkins, rags, and a spare key in a magnet case placed in a secret location under the car.

Now you're as prepared as you can be to let your child tackle the road. Take a deep breath, and let them go!

Karen Condor is an insurance expert who writes and researches for the car insurance comparison site, CarInsurance.org. She has concentrated on vehicle safety features, safety apps, and safe driving over the years due to having to teach her three younger siblings how to drive.