Due to their inexperience and susceptibility to distraction and peer pressure, teen drivers are more prone to accidents than older drivers, which is why they could use every tool that can help them stay safe while on the road. Lately, smartphone apps have become one of the best tools for ensuring teen driver safety, by helping them stay focused on the road and preventing them from engaging in risky driving behaviors. In this blog post, we take a look at the top smartphone apps keeping teens safe behind the wheel.
Canary
This is a free app for iPhone and Android, which helps parents monitor their teenage kids while driving, in order to prevent them from getting distracted or driving recklessly. It sends real-time notifications to parents whenever their kids do something that can increase the risk of an accident, such as talking on the phone or texting while driving, exceeding a preset speed limit, or driving through an area that parents have designated as off-limits.
Drive Safe Mode
Drive Safe Mode is another app that prevents distracted driving, one of the most common causes of accidents in the United States. Some of the most useful features that this Android and iPhone app has include locking the phone when the vehicle starts moving, only allowing drivers to call 911 or a couple of preset numbers, and alerting parents if drivers try to disable it.
Drivesafe.ly
This app allows teen drivers stay connected without causing any distraction. With Drivesafe.ly, teens can still receive text messages and emails and respond to them, but they don’t have to take their hands off the steering wheel, thus staying in control of the vehicle at all times. The app reads incoming text messages and emails out loud in real time and responds automatically, so that the driver doesn’t have to touch the phone.
AT&T Drive Mode
This is definitely one of the best apps for preventing texting and driving. It activates automatically when the vehicle starts moving, and it silences incoming text message notifications at speeds over 15 mph, on top of automatically replying to messages. What’s more, it alerts parents in case it is turned off by a teen driver, but allows drivers to access music and navigation apps with a single touch.
Steer Clear Mobile
Statefarm’s Steer Clear Mobile app is aimed at young drivers, encouraging them to avoid risky driving behaviors and helping them realize the importance of defensive driving practices. It allows drivers to log trips so that they can keep track of how much time they spend on the road and which locations and road conditions they drive in, which they can later use to get Statefarm’s safe driver discount, and it also offers tips on safe driving in different weather conditions.