Tech tools can help keep your teen driver safe

Kids & Money

For teenage drivers, these are the deadly days of summer.

Teens have long had the highest crash rate of any age group in the United States, but the stretch roughly from Memorial Day through Labor Day is especially dangerous. According to 2013 data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, June, July and August had higher teenage crash deaths than any other months of the year.

Anybody who has teenage drivers in the house has probably spent fretful moments waiting for their child to come home after a night behind the wheel, particularly in that first year after getting their license.

If you’re like me, the interrogation begins right after your teen hits the front door: Where did you go? Did you get on the highway? Who else was in the car? And did you remember to pull over to the side to answer you cellphone?

Ever-improving technology provides those answers — and offers parents peace of mind and possibly discounts on car insurance premiums, too.

In-car devices for monitoring teen drivers have been around for several years, but as the technology has improved so have the options to choose from. These devices — relying on GPS, or global positioning system technology — check on speed, location, accelerating, braking and more. Parents can even get a daily driving report card sent to their email, and be alerted if the device is unplugged.

Some systems are offered for free by insurance companies for one year. Others range from $80 to $150 plus monthly service fees of about $20.