Gadget to monitor teens for bad driving
Date: 17/03/2008 12:00:00
Young drivers in Staffordshire are set to take part in a trial involving the installation of a device that will track their motoring activities.
The Safety Centre gadget, made by US firm GreenRoad Technologies, makes use of a GPS-enabled black box and a variety of sensors to gauge the driving skills of the motorist in question, the Times reports.
Installed in the car itself, the product transmits its data to the internet, with parents able to check a website to see how well their offspring drives. GreenRoad is currently discussing the potential use of the device by insurers to help reduce car insurance premiums for the safest young motorists, according to the newspaper.
The trial is being undertaken by Staffordshire county council. Adrian Hide, head of road safety for the council, highlighted the notion that drivers tend to believe they are better at handling a car than they actually are.
He added: "The aim of this trial is not to spy on young people then punish them, but to highlight where they are going wrong so they can change their behaviour and avoid accidents."
According to GreenRoad, the technology behind the Safety Centre has been shown to reduce accident costs by up to 65 per cent on average.