A Few Aids Against Distracted Driving #ItCanWait

I’m working with the ItCanWait program and received this article from Ford. Of course it’s from a completely different brand, it’s another way you can help keep your teenagers from driving while they are distracted. All drivers need to take the ItcanWait pledge, but as parents we want to do more than have our children take a pledge. We want to install ways to help keep them safe. Cell phone companies like AT&T have apps you can add that will disable texting while the car is in motion and some adults know that teens can find a way to disable the app. So you might have a smart teenager, so that means you need to make sure you are sharing the facts with them……

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As summer begins, what can be the most fun season of the year for teens can also be the riskiest. A new survey conducted by Penn Schoen Berland and commissioned by Ford reveals new insights about teen driving habits and perceptions. The survey polled teen drivers and parents, and reveals some surprising results. Key highlights include:

• 76 percent of teens and 83 percent of parents consider the dangers of distracted driving to be comparable to drunk driving, yet parents are 40 percent more likely to check their phones while driving than their teenage children

• Parents are concerned about their teens having safe driving habits, but only 26 percent of parents surveyed use a safety device to reinforce safe driving habits

• Survey shows risks differ between genders; teenage boys are more likely to engage in aggressive driving behaviors, while teenage girls are more likely to engage in distractions that are social in nature
• According to a Ford analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data from 2007 to 2011, summer months had the highest number of teen driver fatalities. For 2011, the latest data available, there were 358 teen driver fatalities in traffic crashes during June, July and August, as compared to 271 teen driver fatalities during the winter (December, January and February). But the survey results of 500 teens and 500 parents show more than half of teens (66 percent) and parents (58 percent) believe winter is the most dangerous season for teens on the road.

In addition, Ford also announced that its MyKey® technology is now in 6 million Ford and Lincoln vehicles on the road nationwide – including the including the new 2014 Fiesta, available in dealerships this summer. As teens get behind the wheel this summer, Ford’s MyKey technology encourages teenagers to wear their seat belts, keep the radio volume down, watch their speed and pay attention to the road – not their cell phones.

AT&T Smart Limits for Wireless℠ helps families manage the types of purchases made from the mobile device, texting and data usage, and time-of-day use restrictions.

• Block Unwanted Calls and Texts: Specify up to ’30’ blocked numbers.
• Prevent 411 Charges: Easily block calls to 411 Info.
• Limit Data Usage: Set monthly limits for data usage per billing cycle. Now available on smartphones.
• Limit Texting: Set monthly limit for number of text messages per billing cycle.
• Limit Purchases: Limit monthly purchases, such as apps and games that are billed directly to your AT&T account. Does not restrict credit card purchases from smartphone app stores.
• Limit Phone Use By Time of Day: Restrict texting, data usage and outbound calling during specified times of day. Designate allowed numbers regardless of other restrictions – up to 15 numbers.

AT&T FamilyMap^SM  Know where your kids are at any time. AT&T FamilyMap lets you locate family members on a map from your mobile phone or computer at any time. For your teenage drivers, find their location without a distracting call or text. You can also set up alerts to be notified by text or email of your child’s location at specific times of day.