DETROIT, Mich. — A new study found in a five-year period, nearly five thousand teens died in crashes because of speeding, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
According to Michigan State Police, in 2019, 124 drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 involved in deadly crashes were driving too fast.
There are cellphone apps parents can use that not only track speed, but other driving habits as well.
- RoadReady: Keeps track of training hours and driving conditions during those driving hours.
- Life360: Tells parents how fast their teen is driving, along with reporting hard braking and increase acceleration.
- MamaBear: Tells parents if your teen is texting and driving behind the wheel.
Depending on the make and model of your car, there are also setting that can be used on the vehicle itself.
“They’re programmable keys that they can actually program for teens, like they cannot go over a certain speed or the radio won’t work if the seat-belt is not on,” said Linda Fech.
Fech is the Teen Traffic Safety Coordinator with Michigan State Police. She says it is important for parents to do their research to see what tools work best for training their teen drivers.
While these tools are helpful, Fech says conversations must be had on the importance of driving the speed limits. It’s also important to lead by example.
“Drive the way you want your teen to drive, obey the traffic laws?” asked Fech.
