Use these apps to keep an eye on your teen's driving

Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Use apps to track your teen driver
Use apps to track your teen driver

When your teenager starts driving, it can be a nerve-racking experience. Some parents told me they've found some relief, thanks to technology.

Even when Joi Bailey isn't in the car with her teenage son, she's still along for the ride, thanks to an app.

"I always want to know where they are and that they are doing the right things," she said.

Joi uses the free app Life 360 to track her son's speed and location whenever he's driving or riding with someone. She knows where he is, where he's going and how long it will take him to get there.

She explained, "It shows me the route that he took and it shows me he was driving 47 miles an hour at his highest speed."

Warren admits he felt spied upon at first, because he hadn't done anything wrong. But now?

"It makes me feel a little safer knowing that all of them can see where I am and if a situation does arise, they all can see where I last was or how far away I am, that sort of thing," he admitted.

Life 360 is among the many free tracker apps on the market.

There are also tracker devices that plug into your child's car. The parents of 17-year-old Zachary Sapp paid $80 for a Motosafety device and pay a monthly fee to record his driving history, whether he speeds, accelerates too quickly or slams on the brakes.

Joi said, "I don't want to track their every move all day but I want to be able to say they've reached their destination safely."

For the Life 360 app to work, both you and the person you want to track both need to download it. Tracking can be turned off, but it will notify the members of the group you created.