The Houston auto accident attorneys at Denena & Points read that AAA, the American Automobile Association, has developed an application that parents of many teens might love. It’s called AAAOnBoard and it’s from the company’s Automotive and Wireless Product Development division. The AAAOnBoard coaching device plugs into a vehicle’s diagnostic port. Parents can set the device to send them emails or text messages alerting them to their teen’s location and speed while driving.
Every parent’s dream could just be every teen’s nightmare. But a story in the Houston Chronicle suggests that some teens, after an initial reaction of shock that their parents might be watching their every move, come to appreciate the fact that the presence of the device keeps them more conscious of their own safety while driving. Our Houston auto accident attorneys point out that the AAAOnBoard coaching device, while intrusive, could help keep these teens safe to drive another day.
According to the manger of AAA’s Automotive and Wireless Product Development division, the idea behind the AAAOnBoard coaching device is that teens that know they are being watched by their parents might take fewer risks while driving. And if they take fewer risks, they tend to experience fewer accidents. And fewer accidents mean fewer payouts for AAA and other insurers. And for parents, fewer accidents mean lower insurance rates and less danger of their teens being injured or killed in traffic.
NHTSA data places traffic crashes at the top of the list for causes of death in the age group 15 to 20 years. So responsible use of the AAAOnBoard device could produce some real benefits in lowering the number of traffic fatalities for that age group.
But the device also presents some concerns regarding privacy and other aspects of teen safety. While parents might have some safety interests in tracking their own teens, they generally don’t want anyone else to be able to track them. And most teens would probably prefer not to be tracked by anyone, including parents. A possible benefit in influencing safe driving habits might not be enough to warrant the real intrusiveness of an AAAOnBoard device installed into a vehicle. Ultimately, our Houston auto accident attorneys believe that it’s a question for parents to decide, preferably in agreement with their teen drivers.
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