Should You Tell Your Teen You’re Monitoring Their Driving?
1 Dec 2022When your teen starts to drive, they assume a huge amount of new responsibility. While we all like to think that our teens are responsible when they’re out on the road, unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Also, it can be difficult to know what they’re really up to and if they are in fact being responsible when they’re not with us.
Because of the uncertainty that comes with teen drivers, many parents look for ways to check in on their teens. While there are apps like Find My Friends that allow you to monitor your teen’s location, they can always shut off their phone or disable the location services.
Therefore, many parents turn to GPS trackers. Active GPS trackers allow you to monitor the real-time location of your teen on the road. Furthermore, it can provide you with invaluable information regarding their driving behavior.
If you’re considering a GPS tracking device for your teen driver, you may be wondering if you should tell them.
Reasons to Tell Your Teen You’re Monitoring Them
There are some reasons to tell your teen driver you’ve decided to monitor them in the car.
If you tell them it’s for their safety, they may not like it, but it’s better than you spying on them only to keep tabs on them. Anyway, 16 to 19-year-old drivers are 3 times more likely to get in a fatal car crash than 20-year-olds, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Another reason to tell your teen is that it may increase accountability. The simple fact that they know they’re being monitored may make them less likely to drive recklessly or drive somewhere they’re not supposed to.
Lastly, if you don’t tell your teen and they do find out themselves, then they will very likely feel more upset than if you had told them.
Reasons Not to Tell Your Teen You’re Monitoring Them
As parents, we don’t really know what’s going on in our teens’ lives. We may have some idea, but it can be hard to know what they’re really up to. Telling your teen that you’re monitoring them will not only make them upset, but they may find ways around your tracking.
For example, they could drive to a friend’s house and have their friend take them out of town or to a party rather than driving themselves. Also, they could always disable the tracking device or remove it from the vehicle when they’re going somewhere they’re not supposed to.
Also, if you don’t tell your teen, you’ll see a more honest record of where they’re going and what they’re doing. This is especially useful if you suspect your teen of breaking the law or doing drugs.
Covert GPS Trackers
If you do opt to track your teen without them knowing, you should opt for a covert GPS tracker like the PT8100. Covert GPS trackers allow you to monitor your teen’s location without them knowing it. They can be hidden practically anywhere so they won’t be discovered.
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