1-800-CALL-DAD

Newsweek Web Exclusive

Email To A Friend

Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.

SPONSORED BY

How often do you get good reports?
About 10 percent of the reports are complimentary. One said, "We just wanted to let parent know kid was doing a good job." But it's not just about the number of reports and whether they were positive or negative. It's also about just getting teens to think a little more when they get behind the wheel. It makes a teen a more conscientious driver, gives their parents peace of mind and confidence in their teen's ability, and because of this, helps build more trust between them.

How can you protect against prank calls?
Callers are notified that the call is being recorded. In the commercial industry, they have a lot of experience in this area. They tend to know when a call is not genuine. These are the same people who are answering our calls.

Are there other similar programs out there?
While the few existing systems we've seen that address the issue of teen driving are punitive in nature—for example, teen GPS systems [that alert parents when their kids go a certain number of miles over the speed limit]—we understand the challenges of teen-parent relationships. Our approach—the e-mail report, education modules, strict confidentiality—is designed to be less intrusive and to ultimately give the teen more freedom and the parent more peace of mind.

Some people might argue that the ultimate peace of mind comes from keeping teens off the roads in the first place. If kids are making so many driving mistakes, why not just increase the driving age?
I think there comes a time to let go, a time to get them out there on the road. It's not always easy to do, but hopefully Steer Straight makes it more manageable. I believe teens should be out there, but they need to appreciate the responsibility and challenges of driving. And parents have a right to be involved.

« Prev Page

Member Comments

- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: david's mom @ 10/19/2008 9:01:09 PM

i think your idea is great my husband and i just this for the 1st time and think it's a great way to keep a check on these young drivers. our son will be driving next year and we will be joining. if our son chooses not to put the sticker on his car then i guess he doesn't drive. he must remember the is MINE
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: smart thinker @ 08/26/2008 1:12:49 PM

While I know that this is a positive idea, with good intentions, I would have to agree with miltongalfas. Teens would be infuriated with their parents who put this bumper sticker on their car. Truck drivers have it on their trucks, because they HAVE to. Unless you see something absolutely horrible on the road, you're probably not going to call the number on the sticker.

It all comes down to this: If you can put a sticker on your kid's car to monitor their driving, why shouldn't they put a sticker on your car that reads "How is my parent driving?"
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: Yayson @ 08/19/2008 8:41:09 PM

Seems this system is just a RED FLAG for any would-be pedophiles / attackers looking for an easy target. Here we have a billboard advertisement of a young and inexperienced teen driver -- easily picked out among the sea of other cars around her/him. Sounds dangerous and I wouldn't ever want to put my daughter in that position.