Recently we received an email from someone working in the teen driving arena who expressed concerns about people using GPS vehicle tracking in the cars their teenagers drive. The writer said that it can raise issues of privacy and trust between parents and teens. Especially, they continued, if the GPS tracking unit is installed without the teen’s knowledge.
We couldn’t agree more that parents should NEVER install a GPS tracker without the teen’s knowledge. But on the general issue of privacy and trust between parent and teen, both issues that come up from time to time, the writer asked us for our opinion. Here’s what we replied by email; perhaps this will resonate with some readers.
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Dear [name withheld for privacy],
Thanks for asking our thoughts on the use of GPS trackers and bumper stickers that identify teen drivers.
Yes, the trust and privacy issue does crop up sometimes. We have an article from Dr. Robin Kirby on our web site that addresses the issue of trust and spying on kids that might be of interest. Robin is a Clinical Psychologist who does a lot of work with families and teens. She sees many families in which the parents are “abdicating” their true parenting responsibilities and has said this is almost at epidemic proportions these days.
For example, parents often believe that THEIR teen is somehow different than other teens, and therefore do not handle their parenting responsibilities with the insight or attention needed. Allstate did a study that verifies this further, calling it the “not MY teen syndrome.” Their study also points out how uninformed parents are on issues surrounding teen driving.
Because driving crashes are the #1 killer and injury cause for teens, it only makes sense for parents to be parents – not just friends to their kids, or too busy with social life, work and other activities to get truly engaged on driving safety. Here are a few articles that speak to this. The Allstate study in particular bears close reading.
Dr. Kirby’s article:
http://www.safeteendrivingclub.org/reading_article.php?ID=5
Allstate study:
http://www.safeteendrivingclub.org/reading_article.php?ID=15
Parenting Style Can Contribute to Teen Car Crashes:
http://www.safeteendrivingclub.org/media.php
Why Teenagers Act Weird:
http://www.safeteendrivingclub.org/reading_article.php?ID=48
None of this is to indict parents. We all live busy lives. But here at Safe Teen Driving Club we do try to elevate the issue of proper parenting as it relates to driving, which, after all, is about keeping one’s precious child safe, intact and alive. Bumper stickers and GPS vehicle trackers are just tools that concerned parents can use to help in the process. We believe that every parent should use GPS for at least the first year of driving with the Intermediate license, because that’s where the crash rate skyrockets, especially in the early months. National Safety Council reports 58% of teens crash in the first year; 80% in three years. With these facts in hand, we think it makes sense for parents to be parents and take responsibility for their kids rather than just turning them loose with a car and hoping for the best because “it won’t happen to my teen.” Of course a parent-teen contract plays a huge role in this, and it’s also something we highly recommend.
And of course, we don’t indict teens either. They’re growing, learning and developing. There’s a lot on brain development that shows kids are not often able to make mature decisions, to anticipate outcomes of their actions. When it comes to a parent saying, “Yes, I trust my child,” that trust doesn’t speak to what teens actually DO, often on the spur of the moment. There’s another study that bears review too from NHTSA: http://www.safeteendrivingclub.org/reading_article.php?ID=6. It’s amazing what those focus groups discovered kids actually do in a car when parents are not with them. So trust alone doesn’t answer the question, “What might my child do when I’m not watching over him?”
There are just too many kids dying and coming out of ER’s with life-changing injuries to allow us to feel that privacy or trust issues take precedence over sound parenting and keeping kids alive.
Finally, I completely agree that parents should NEVER install GPS without telling their child. Doing that does appear to be a clear indication of trust lacking in the relationship. Instead, parents should talk with their child, explain why they’re installing GPS, and then discuss GPS reports on a regular basis as part of an on-going parenting/coaching program aimed at improving their child’s’ driving behavior and safety.
In the meantime, I applaud your work and wish you the best as you continue working with teens and their parents. I’m sure you’ll have a real impact on families. My best wishes!
