Safeco to offer parents a device that tracks teen drivers

[jdesigns]

Originally Posted by The Seattle Times

Full story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...urance05m.html

By Mike Lindblom
Seattle Times transportation reporter



Safeco Insurance will soon offer its customers a tracking device that lets parents monitor the speed and location of their teen children who are out driving.

The product, called "Teensurance," will be offered to Safeco policy holders in 44 states, including Washington, starting June 27.

The tracking equipment, the size of a wallet, is mounted on the dashboard.

Parents can set limits using the Teensurance Web site, so that if a teen drives above a certain speed, or goes too far from home or school, a message is automatically sent to the parent. Parents can request a cellphone call, text message, or e-mail. They can also see the car's location on an online map. Drivers can call a hotline for roadside assistance.

The company demonstrated the system today at Safeco Field. The stadium television screen showed a red Mustang convertible's position as it turned onto the baseball field's warning track.

The introductory subscription fee will be $14.99 a month, said spokesman Lee Somerstein. Safeco is not offering a reduction in insurance rates until the company can study whether the program reduces collisions, he said.

The technology can be used to monitor an elderly driver, or vehicles in a small-business fleet, said Jim Havens, Safeco's vice president for customer solutions.

But the company is currently focused on families with teens, a potential market of more than 10 million households, he said. Safeco hopes Teensurance will attract new customers, he said.

Similar devices are being tried by a few insurers around the country, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In one case, a camera is mounted on the rear-view mirror to capture footage of what goes on inside, just before and after a sudden stop.

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com

I need some opinions on this. I think this is a great idea.

I guarentee the kids won't think it's great, but what parent wants to bury their child because the kid was doing something stupid in the car and kills themselves (And possibly others)???

[larryziegler]

We do business with Safeco....A LOT OF BUSINESS.....but I'm not the Safeco specialist in our organization. I saw this come thru my email yesterday, but due to being short on staff this week with sickness and vacations, I hadn't had a chance to read the email and the accompanying video with it. Given the technology that exists, it doesn't surprise me that an insurance carrier is offering it, but it does come to us unexpectedly.....especially since Safeco has ramped up business efforts once again for Calif and marketing hasn't communicated even a hint that this was in the works or forthcoming. I know of no other insurance carrier who has this on the drawing boards either. 30 years ago.....this item would have taken off had the technology been available then. Today? I don't know......too many parents are enablers for their kids.....even past college graduation, so they may not care....or want to know. You should hear the stories my wife would bring home from the nearby high school where she worked before going to the District Office.

I just saw the video and it has good points to it. But I see 2 very quick fallacies: 1) You need to dedicate a car for the teen to drive, such as their own car. A low % of parents actually buy their kids a car on their 16th birthday.....we sure didn't....She had to drive our cars. The 2nd fallacy is that they would know this device is installed, therefore they would tend to park the car at a friends house or the school parking lot and ride with their friends (assuming state laws and/or parents allow it) to get around the usage parameters established. We have had AAA roadside service for 28 yrs and always made sure she had a card in case of breakdown, plus a cell phone we had also given her. Lastly, the issue of trust between parent/kid is somewhat compromised by the gps device.

[warren]

i don't know, j...

if it gives parents a little peace of mind while their teenagers are out and about, i can't blame 'em for getting the device.

know i've had an anxious moment or two with my two kids when they first started driving...heck, it still happens whenever either of them are home...really don't get to sleep until i know FOR SURE they're back after a night out with friends or boyfriend.

now i really understand why my mom got so hacked off the times i got home late when i was in HS. of course, i also had a habit then of not letting Mom know what i was up to. oops.

my USMC dad fixed that "character shortcoming."

and i'm wondering if Teensurance will really reduce accidents...

[pixelnexus]

There are dongle devices that plug into the ODBII port that can track driving patterns like speeds, hard brakes and turns without having to pay for a subscription service.

I do think that parents should use technology to find out what their kids are REALLY doing behind the wheel when there aren't any parents in the car also.

When I got my license, all that was required was to pass a written test, and complete 7 hours driving time through school. I hit 2 cars and my own house by the time I was 19. More instruction and driving time should be required before we let kids out on the road.

[marvins_dad]

I plan on using something like this if it is still around when my little one is driving. I think it is a great idea.

I'll have live GPS as well...I don't care of invasion of privacy. As long as you let them know it's there, it's up to them to be safe and no the punishment.

The only thing it can't help with is if the kid get's into a friends car....soon all cell phones will have GPS tracking so you will still be able to figure out if they are in a speeding car.