Tools You Can Use to Prevent Teens From Distracted Driving

Posted October 26, 2018 | Personal Injury Blog

Distracted driving greatly increases the risk of being in an accident, yet people continue to use their phones while behind the wheel. Teen drivers are especially prone to this type of behavior when they start to drive on their own.

You can teach your teens about the dangers of distracted driving, but making them put the phone down becomes difficult when they’re no longer in the car with you. Thankfully, there are numerous apps that help to control phone use while driving. To help your teen stay out of accidents in Salt Lake City while on the road, consider using some of these tools.

DriveMode

AT&T’s DriveMode is one of the strongest provider apps that help with distracted driving. It’s free, works on both Androids and iPhones, and starts to work automatically when your car starts moving more than 15 miles per hour. The app sends preconfigured responses to whoever is  trying to contact you (via text or call) while you are driving.

This app does block many distractions, but it still allows your phone to run navigation apps and music, rather than hiding these features behind a wall. Parents can also turn on a setting that alerts them when their teen tries to disable the app. This helps encourage safe driving habits. This is an AT&T-developed app, but it is available for use on other networks – and it has some of the most effective features available.

SafeDrive

SafeDrive doesn’t work on the “keep drivers from using the phone by blocking them out” premise. Instead, this Android and iPhone app rewards drivers when they don’t touch their phones, turning safe driving into a game. You collect points whenever you leave your phone alone while driving. Your points disappear if you check your phone while driving.

This approach targets the reward response, so staying off your phone sounds appealing, rather than a chore. You can also challenge other SafeDrive users to see who can travel the most phone-free miles on the road, and winners get bonus rewards. Even better, you can cash in your points for rewards, with more retailers regularly joining the list.

Focus – Screen Free Driving

You can’t always be in the car with your teen to provide warnings about the dangers of picking up the phone while driving, but Focus – Screen Free Driving can. This free app is only available for iPhone, but it’s still an effective choice. The app launches when you start driving. Picking up your phone triggers an audio warning from the app, which continues if you don’t lock your phone.

The app reminds you when it’s time to focus on the road, and it gives you a report of how long you engage in distracted driving with your phone. This information can help you stay aware of how much time you spend on your phone. Extra features, such as speeding reports, can be purchased for $4.99. This can help parents keep an eye on their teen drivers.

tXtBlocker

Minimizing the time your teens spend on distracted driving is important, but you can completely cut out the risk of them using their phones. tXtBlocker costs $7 per month, but it shuts down the phone while driving. You can even set up “no cell zones” to prevent any use while at places such as work or school. You can also use the app’s website to view reports on your teen’s driving activity. This small fee is well worth the cost to prevent accidents related to distracted driving.

There will always be risks to letting your teen drivers on the road as long as distracted driving continues to be a problem. Apps that help reduce the chance of distracted driving are helpful, but you should also talk with your teen about the dangers of distracted driving and lead by example. Everyone can travel safely to their destinations with the right distracted-driving prevention techniques.