This post: Apps to Keep Teen Drivers Safe on the Road
The first time my son got behind the wheel of a car, he looked like a baby to me. He still had braces, he was gawky and, to say he was a little clueless about the perils of driving, was an understatement.
The mere thought of teaching my son how to drive made me nervous. But what really sent me over the edge was the idea of one day handing him the keys to the car and watching him pull out of the driveway without me (or my husband) by his side.
As parents, it’s one of our biggest worries. In fact, most parents admit they white-knuckle it through the whole “teaching their kids how to drive” stage and that they have plenty of mixed emotions (sometimes straight-up fear) when their teen receives their driver’s license and hits the road solo.
The good news is, there are apps out there that can keep our kids (at least somewhat) safer on the road and offer us far more peace of mind.
Whether your teen is a new driver or has a little experience under their belt, we’ve rounded up the best apps to keep teen drivers safe on the road. From apps that will offer you insight into your teen’s driving habits to apps that can give you a heads up when your teen reaches their destination safely and offer roadside assistance, check out these top-rated apps to keep your teen safe on the road.
The 7 Best Apps to Keep Teen Drivers Safe on the Road
Life360
Available for Android and iPhone
Ranked as one of the most popular teen driver monitoring apps, Life360 packs in a few powerful features that will not only keep your teen safe but also bring you much-needed peace of mind every time your teen gets behind the wheel. The app has a free and paid version, however, the Driver Protect Plan, which costs $7.99/month is worth its weight in gold. Some of the features the app provides include:
Safe Driver Review: With this feature you can receive insight about your teen’s driving habits, including trip information that shows duration and route, reporting on top speed, instances of rapid acceleration, hard braking, and cell phone usage.
Automatic Crash Detection and Emergency Response: The app will automatically detect if your teen is involved in a serious accident. One of Life360’s advisors will automatically contact your teen to ask if emergency responders are needed. If so, they dispatch services with the exact accident location while staying on the phone with your teen until help arrives. They will also alert you (and anyone else included in the plan) that your teen has been involved in an accident.
Extended Roadside Assistance: The cool part about this feature is that your child can contact Life 360 24 hours a day, seven days a week for roadside assistance. That means if they get a flat tire, require a tow, need advice about a minor accident or any other issue, help us just a phone call away.
Mama Bear
Available for Android and iPhone
With distractions being the number one cause of teen driver accidents, every parent worries that their teen will throw caution to the wind and text while driving. The Mama Bear app, which offers both a free and paid version, offers several great features including:
Speeding Alerts: When your child drives over a particular speed limit that you set, you’ll be notified.
Text Monitoring: If and when your teen texts while driving, you’ll know.
Arrival and Departure Notifications: With this feature, you can always have the comfort of knowing your child made it to their destination safely.
TrueMotion Family Safe Driving
Free: Available for Android and iPhone
TrueMotion Family adds a new element of “fun” to safe driving. For families who love a little healthy competition, the app tracks each family member’s driving habits and ranks them by the best scores. Now your kids can complete as the safest driver in the family. The app also has other features including:
Tracks Phone Use: The app will track any phone use while driving including texting.
Tracks Aggressive Handling: If your teen speeds, handles the vehicle aggressively, or engages in any other dangerous driving activity, the app will track it.
DriveSmart
Available for Android and iPhone
The DriveSmart app has a free version as well as The Drive Smart Plus add-on ($4.99/month). The app allows a driver to set their phone to drive mode. When your teen is in the car, the app will send incoming calls directly to voicemail and any incoming texts will be muted with an auto-response. With the upgraded Drive Smart Plus add-on, parents can:
Monitor When Teen’s Cell Phone is in Moving Vehicle: When the app identifies your teen’s phone is in motion, it will automatically activate the program and begin muting texts and sending calls to voicemail. If your teen overrides the program, you’ll be notified.
Monitor Driving Habits: Everything from your teen’s speed while driving, acceleration, cornering, and braking habits will be monitored so you can see first-hand how your teen is driving.
DriveScribe
Free: Available for Android and iPhone
DriveScribe, also known as the “Safe Driving Coach,” transforms your teen’s phone into a personal safe driving coach. One of the coolest aspects of this app is that drivers can earn points that they can turn into gift cards to redeem at their favorite retailers. App features include:
Blocks Call, Emails, Texts: The app allows drivers to set up automated responses to friends and family letting them know that they’re driving and they’ll return their call/text/email when they stop driving.
Real-Time Driving Help: View trips, statistics and receive notifications of driving imperfections so your teen can identify mistakes they made and become a better driver.
Earn Points for Gift Cards: Drivers can earn points for using DriveScribe which can be redeemed for gift cards at retailers such as Amazon, Express, Sports Authority, and more.
RoadReady
Available for Android and iPhone
RoadReady is a great driving monitoring app that is part of “The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program.” It is also the recipient of the US Department of Transportation National Roadway Safety Award. The app has a few super cool features both parents and teens will appreciate including:
Logs Teen Driving Practice During Learner’s Permit Phase: Keeping track of your teen’s hours when they’re learning to drive just got easy. RoadReady makes it simple.
Tracks Driving Experiences: Every parent wants their child to be fully prepared before they send them out on the road alone. RoadReady provides an easy and efficient way to ensure teens have enough experience behind the wheel in a variety of conditions before they begin to drive independently.
Tips for Safe Driving: Among the app’s other features, it passes along suggested safe-driving tips so teens can continue to learn long after you hand them the keys to the car.
Hum by Verizon
Available for Android and iPhone – ONLY for Verizon Wireless Customers
Hum is a great safe-driving app that gives parents added peace of mind when their teen is on the road. For Verizon customers, this app has loads of features that benefit new drivers including:
Speed & Boundaries: The app will notify you if your teen’s car exceeds a set speed limit or if they cross your specific location boundaries.
Vehicle Diagnostics: Before your teen hits the road, your teen can check the “health” of their car and detect any issues. It even has maintenance reminders so they’ll never forget to change the oil or rotate your tires.
Call for Help: The app allows drivers to call certified mechanics in the event they need roadside assistance.
Crash Detection: If Hum detects a crash, it will automatically notify emergency services and send help your teen’s way.