In the past year major insurance carriers and others have begun offering consumers GPS and other types of monitoring systems. These give parents a far greater measure of control over the actual driving behavior of their teens. 

They show where the car has been, even including time of day and street addresses; at what speed it was driven; how long it was stopped at a certain place, etc. Some even send alerts to your email or cell phone when agreed-upon driving rules are violated.

A driver cannot "hide" from the reports these driving monitors provide. Some parents have expressed concern about invading privacy of their children. Others are eager to use driving monitors to coach and teach their teens to drive more safely, and to obey driving rules set by the family.

These articles will give you the information you need to make an informed decision on how a driving monitor can improve the safe driving behavior of your son or daughter.  Also note: the Safe Teen Driving Pledge is a companion to any monitoring unit. In fact, whether you use a monitor or not, we strongly recommend setting rules around driving via the Safe Teen Driving Pledge.

• GPS Monitors - What They Are, How to Choose
• When I Monitor My Teen, Am I Spying?
• Orkin Pest Control Cut Their Crash Rate by 40% Using GPS Driving Monitors
• GPS Tracking May Earn a Discount on Your Auto Insurance [opens a new window to the Insurance Information Institute; see "Insurer Discounts" at the end of this article on auto theft]
• New Devices Allow Parents to Track Teenagers' Cars [video from Connect With Kids featuring Dr. Robin Kirby and Safe Teen Driving Club; opens a new window]

The Vehicle Reporter is a pocket-sized GPS location device that stores driving history, showing speed, heading and location.

The Vehicle Tracker allows you to monitor and manage your teen's driving using GPS location combined with cellular notification.