Black Box for Teenage Drivers

[nbcrusader]

A device to warn young drivers when they exceed top speed limits. Soon, an add-on to map where they go.

Does the device make more consciensous drivers, or is the threat to privacy too great?

And do you know if your car already has a data recorder?

From CNN

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

http://www.newsday.com/news/printed...418aug27,0,7704629.story?coll=ny-linews-print



http://www.msnbc.com/local/NTLI/88486.asp


i work for the camp that this bus was leaving from, and i was down at the scene within minutes of the accident... the driver of the car, 17 years old, has since died. the girl that was medivaced to the hospital in critical is doing fine... broken jaw, will need more surgery, but nothing life threatening.

so to conclude... you're damn right they should put these things in teenage drver's cars.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

i agree with having this installed.

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

I think it's fine as long as the only person who can access the information in the box is the owner of the car. I'm sure my parents would love to have one of those in my sister's car.

 

[bonosloveslave]

Good idea

 

[BonoBabe40]

Definately a good idea...I have 2 teenage drivers...Love to know where they've been

 

[deep]

At 16 I was a law breaking, wreckless driver. This device might have saved my life.

Each time I got behind the wheel it was a roll of the dice.

At 21 I changed my driving and have been a very responsible driver ever since.

 

[Mr. BAW]

As a retired motorcycle officer, most of my clients were teens..20 to 25 mph over the speed limit was the norm; I scraped many a wreck of the streets of the small town where I worked..

Right now, there is a device that can be hooked to your engine's computer post-accident to determine the speed of that vehicle in its last moments....no more telling the officer you were doing 35; Big Brother can find out you were going closer to 60...ps...we know what wreckage at 35 mph looks like, its less than 40 and 50 and 60 mph...crumpled metal does not lie ...

be safe out there! and pleeze, pull over to use that cellphone!

 

[verte76]

It's a good idea. It'll save lives.

 

[Rono]

It is a stupid idea,...are there now adult drivers who are speeding ? And why should we know where our children where they are all the time. This world is turning into a place where people don`t behave in a proper way because they want to but because they are under control,...

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

if you had an out of control teenagers who you were always worrying yourself sick about, you would probably want one too Rono. I see all the stress that my parents go through because of my sister. My parents would never have put one on my car, because i'm responsible and have common sense.

 

[BAW]

It is a stupid idea,...are there now adult drivers who are speeding ? And why should we know where our children where they are all the time. This world is turning into a place where people don`t behave in a proper way because they want to but because they are under control,...

I don't know how it is where you are Rono but in California at least, parents have to sign something saying that THEY are financially responsible for any damages their children do while driving a car...that's a huge incentive for me to want to know what my kids are doing while they are out driving around.

Kids have been driving recklessly since cars were invented...it has nothing to do with control or being forced into proper behavior. Teenagers (some of them) take risks and use bad judgement and behind the wheel of a car is no place for that kind of behavior. My kids have already lost one friend due to reckless driving..anything parents can do to make sure their kids are safe drivers is okay by me.

I shudder when I think about the way my friends drove when I was a teenager...I'm actually lucky to be alive. Thinking back, I kind of wish this device was around back then.

 

[Bunbury]

This is stupid, makes no sense.

 

[Rono]

I don't know how it is where you are Rono but in California at least, parents have to sign something saying that THEY are financially responsible for any damages their children do while driving a car...that's a huge incentive for me to want to know what my kids are doing while they are out driving around.

Kids have been driving recklessly since cars were invented...it has nothing to do with control or being forced into proper behavior. Teenagers (some of them) take risks and use bad judgement and behind the wheel of a car is no place for that kind of behavior. My kids have already lost one friend due to reckless driving..anything parents can do to make sure their kids are safe drivers is okay by me.

I shudder when I think about the way my friends drove when I was a teenager...I'm actually lucky to be alive. Thinking back, I kind of wish this device was around back then.

When are you allowed to drive a car and what is the age when parents are not financially responsible for the damages for thier kids ?

 

[BAW]

When are you allowed to drive a car and what is the age when parents are not financially responsible for the damages for thier kids ?

In California, you can start driving a car at age 15 1/2...but only with a licensed driver over the age of 25 in the car at all times.

At 16, you can drive without an adult present but for the first 6 months, you can't carry any passengers under the age of 21 and you can't drive between midnight and 5 a.m.

After that 6 month period is over, you are free to drive at anytime with any passengers you like.

And parents are financially responsible until the age of 18.

 

[Lilly]

I don't know how it is where you are Rono but in California at least, parents have to sign something saying that THEY are financially responsible for any damages their children do while driving a car...that's a huge incentive for me to want to know what my kids are doing while they are out driving around.

minnesota and south dakota don't have this financially sound rule. i think that's sorta what tabs are for.


this idea is completely big brother and really kinda gross. a map of where i've been for the night? if i didn't trust my kids i doubt i'd be letting them go out with a car i'm paying for. and while speed is a concern, you can always install a "governor" on the engine which checks speeds. like if you want the top speed to be 80 in a car, then you set the governor to 80 and the car will never go faster than that. of course, you'd make it relative to your speed limits. our interstate speed limit is 75, so i don't know that i'd put it at 80. but in southern california, people drive hilariously fast and if your car is the one car going 55 and everyone else is going 80, you are also posing a huge risk because cars will have to swerve to miss hitting you etc. speed is a risk business and the most important thing is to stress wearing seatbelts. without them, i'd have lost two very dear people on thursday.

 

[BAW]

if i didn't trust my kids i doubt i'd be letting them go out with a car i'm paying for.

While I agree with using the box in some cases, this is probably what most parents should do instead of relying on a tracking device.

I didn't let my now 18 year old son get his driver's license when he was 16...he was completely irresponsible and there was no way I was going to be held liable for what he did behind the wheel. He still doesn't have a license but if he chooses to get one now, he's on his own and will NOT be driving one of my cars.

On the other hand, my youngest is now 16 and I have no qualms whatsover about letting him drive.

 

[Lilly]

here you can legally drive when you're 14 (not past 10pm, basically just so farm kids can go to school).

good point on

While I agree with using the box in some cases, this is probably what most parents should do instead of relying on a tracking device.

it kind of conjures the question on parenting. if we can't depend on parents to parent, does the government take over for that? or does the government taking over parenting make parents more apathetic toward parenting their kids?

 

[~*Buffalo*~]

I think it's a good idea if it produces better, safer drivers. In that case I think it should be available to everyone, not just teenagers. There's a lot of adults who have plenty of experience driving, but still break the law, sometimes without realising it.

This kind of device would be better used, I think, as a simple warning system when one speeds, or does something else detectably illegal, rather than being a tracking device.

I've had my licence just over a year, and I am very grateful to my parents for trusting me enough to drive their car. However I know I make mistakes, and it would be very helpful to be reminded if I go over the speed limit, run a red light, stuff like that ... it's a big transition from driving with an instructor or parent to driving on your own, and some people I know seem to forget what the rules are when they drive by themselves.

However the device as it is now couldn't do an on-the-spot warning, which is a bit pointless. I'm not opposed to the idea because it would promote safety, but I think it should be applied to everyone, not just teenagers.

 

[Seabird]

As the mother of a teenager who just got his license, I think it's awful. What about all the dangerous adult drivers out there and all the incompetant elderly drivers? Not all teens are bad just like not all old folks are senile. People of any age can be a bad driver. Either give it to everyone or no one. This is almost as rude ad the hidden cameras in teenager's bedrooms, but that was the worst. I saw it on one of those news shows.

 

[BVS]

As the mother of a teenager who just got his license, I think it's awful. What about all the dangerous adult drivers out there and all the incompetant elderly drivers? Not all teens are bad just like not all old folks are senile. People of any age can be a bad driver. Either give it to everyone or no one. This is almost as rude ad the hidden cameras in teenager's bedrooms, but that was the worst. I saw it on one of those news shows.

Absolutely. If you don't trust your child to the point that you have to put one of these boxes on the car, then maybe you should evaluate your parenting skills and not the kid's driving.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I'd be more interested in seeing a limitation on horsepower and kilowatt that a teen can drive, especially those on their L's or P's as it is over here. Too often I see young kids with P Plates hooning around in a brand new Club Sport or Nissan 300 ZX (or whatever those things are). They aren't the cars an inexperienced driver should be allowed to operate. We have restrictions here on motorbikes, on the cc's it can have. Why not cars as well?

 

[~*Buffalo*~]

I'd be more interested in seeing a limitation on horsepower and kilowatt that a teen can drive, especially those on their L's or P's as it is over here. Too often I see young kids with P Plates hooning around in a brand new Club Sport or Nissan 300 ZX (or whatever those things are). They aren't the cars an inexperienced driver should be allowed to operate. We have restrictions here on motorbikes, on the cc's it can have. Why not cars as well?

Well, I think there should be limitations on the kinds of cars anyone should drive, because having restrictions just on teenagers is going to encourage them to drive those cars anyway - what's not allowed is always more desirable!

I'm stuck driving my dad's 1984 Mitsubishi Nimbus, not exactly the ideal car to go hooning in! Not that I would anyway, but knowing that it's somewhat fragile is a good incentive to drive carefully. Maybe all teenagers should be given a family wagon when they get their licence ...

 

[melon]

A device to warn young drivers when they exceed top speed limits. Soon, an add-on to map where they go.

I don't know many adults who are very good with staying with the speed limit, though.

Melon

 

[Keocmb]

An invasion of privacy? If you need privacy in the car, maybe you shouldn't be driving...

I think this is a great idea. Not just for teenagers, but make it standard in every car.

I think a law against talking on cell phones while driving, whether you're on a headset or not, would help traffic safety tremedously.

 

[Keocmb]

Maybe all teenagers should be given a family wagon when they get their licence ...

Maybe all teenagers shouldn't be given a car at all. How about buying one themselves?

By the way... that is a completely biased statement. My parents wouldn't buy me a car which caused several years of jealousy and anger to ensue but now I understand. I think a little deprivation is good for teenagers nowadays.

 

[BVS]

An invasion of privacy? If you need privacy in the car, maybe you shouldn't be driving...

How does this make sence?

 

[Keocmb]

How does this make sence?

A device to warn young drivers when they exceed top speed limits. Soon, an add-on to map where they go.

Does the device make more consciensous drivers, or is the threat to privacy too great?

 

[BVS]

Thanks for clearing that one up. I guess you'll want to put one in my shoes while you're at it.

 

[nbcrusader]

To what extent is there a "right to privacy" while driving on a public road? Is it just the contents of your vehicle, or does it extend to how you use your vehicle (ie, driving in excess of posted speed limits)?