The Best Apps to Use When Your Teen Starts Driving
Two months ago, my teenage son passed his driver’s exam brilliantly. Although the initial fear of him leaving has passed and our son has proven that he can drive, we are still working on problems.
Since his high school students are allowed to leave campus if they have high academic performance, our son is free to leave campus several times a week. This means he can master time management skills and gain independence before college (and hang out with his buddies at a local coffee shop).
It also means that it leads to situations where he comes home unannounced and half scares his mother. In short: he almost bumped into the working end of my iron when he stealthily climbed the stairs and shouted, “Surprise! I’m home! “One random Tuesday morning.
Suffice it to say that my husband and I talked about installing tracking apps on our phones so that we always know that it has arrived safely at its destination. (And so he can’t scare me again.)
I have mixed feelings about keeping an eye on our son so closely. My parents probably didn’t know every step I took in high school and college, and because of this, I have some pretty epic memories with my friends. I do not want our son to feel that we do not trust him, but at the same time, when he forgets to write to us that he has come to a friend’s house, the desire to go and find him is very strong.
Fortunately, technology has made it so that you can track your teen driver as much or less as needed.
Life360
Generally speaking, this app was the most recommended by my friends when I asked about apps to track new drivers. Life360 not only monitors in real time, but can also provide you with location history to pinpoint your child’s whereabouts. They can also use the app to get help in case of emergency, and you can also view their driving history to improve their driving skills.
Life360 is available on both iOS and Android .
Find my friends
This application allows your child to share their location with you temporarily or permanently, and you can see the traffic on the road in real time. However, this app requires both parties to share their location in order for the app to work, and for your teenager to quickly press a button to turn off location services. But if you only need to keep track of certain situations from time to time, this is a good option.
Find Friends is only available on iOS .
GPS Phone Tracking Apps
Descendant of Facebook group member Galen Zheng says his nuclear family shares their location via Google Maps. “It was always more like ‘just see if you go,’” he says. “I have a 14-year-old and a 10-year-old child who go to school.”
There is a wide range of easy-to-use GPS apps to choose from that are free for both Android and iOS devices.
Teen driving log
While not a tracking app, it is a useful app on its own for your teenager to download as they drive for hours before taking their driving test. Since teenage drivers in our state have to spend a certain number of hours training before the exam, this app helped us keep track of hours, road conditions and driving types in one place.
Driving magazine for teens is only available on iOS. However, a similar RoadReady logging app is available on both iOS and Android.
Don’t forget personal communication
“Parents need to maintain an ongoing dialogue with their teens from the very beginning of their driving experience,” says Brent Conley of Hickory Driving School in Pennsylvania.
“Talk to your teen about your expectations and responsibilities for being behind the wheel,” Conley says. And while yes, tracking apps are useful for locating your child in a predicament, he says the best thing you can do to keep him safe is to make sure he gets a lot of instruction and practice while driving.
“I tell parents not to be afraid to drive regularly with their teenagers when they have a training permit,” he says. “It’s a slow progression from learning how to get out of a parking space to learning how to get off a highway.”
Conly also encourages parents to speak with their child’s driving instructors to understand where their drawbacks are when it comes to driving skills.
“Working on these skills before they hit the road alone,” he says, “will go a long way in helping both of you feel confident when your teen is traveling alone.”