Your daughter just got her driver’s license. She has been added to your policy and your rates just went up. You need to keep an eye on your teen driver since they have among the highest auto insurance rates of any age group, but some policies offer discounts, including those for academic achievement and demonstrated safety while driving.
However, because of the risk of crash per mile that is three times higher for teens, will you ever let her take the car? Not likely. But you could install a dash cam to record what goes on in that car without you. It will even record a teen’s temptation to text while driving.
The benefit, according to a tech news site, is twofold. First, having a camera mounted in the car puts new drivers on notice that they are being monitored, encouraging safer operating habits. Additionally, the cameras allow parents to keep an eye on their teen driver. Camera video will provide evidence for parents of teens who persist in driving recklessly, allowing them to levy punishments or teach lessons about safety behind the wheel.
American Family Insurance provides a teen safety program that includes a free dash cam for one year and even post-license education and technology-based coaching that will help alleviate bad driving habits. The program evaluates the driver with a report card to determine risk factors with a specific score and gauges the teen driver’s performance over a period of time.
The National Highway Safety Transportation Agency (NHTSA) requires all vehicles to have a back-up camera. The rule applies to all road-legal vehicles under 10,000 pounds. NHTSA cites an average of 210 fatalities and 15,000 injuries from back-up accidents every year, and notes that children under 5 years old account for 31 percent of the deaths.
Your daughter may not be very happy with you initially when installing a dash cam but the records attained for her accomplishments as a safe driver will eventually replace that frustration. Her rewards as a safe driver could save a life, including her own.