5 Best Apps For Parents To Use To Help Protect Their New Teen Driver

While teenagers are excited to get their driver's license and gain that freedom in their lives, the opposite may be true for parents. Yes, they are excited to see their child grow up and get their driver's license.

However, it also brings out many worries, as they won't always be there to protect them, especially when behind the wheel. That is why parents need to come up with the best way to track teen drivers. Since this is such a delicate topic, parents don't want to come off as being intrusive and trying to tap into every part of their child's life.

It may be best to talk to their teen about the driving monitor app they chose and not just install it on their phone without letting them know first. Turn the tables on themselves also and say that the app can be used to monitor their own driving, so make it a family thing.

Here are five great teen driving apps parents can download that will help protect their new teen drivers, even from a distance.

1. Best Apps For Tracking Teenage Drivers - Life360

Life360 is one of today's most popular teen driver tracking apps out there. This has a free and paid version (there are two different plans available to purchase in the app, as they have the Gold Membership for $14.99 a month or Platinum Membership for $24.99 a month). The peace of mind that comes with that $15 a month is well worth it.

The driving monitor app provides a driver report which details speeds, risky behavior, hard braking and acceleration. The app also allows for location sharing and has a crash detection feature, so parents would be the first to know if their teen was involved in an accident. It is available for both iPhone and Android.

2. Best App To Monitor Teen Drivers - DriveSmart

With the DriveSmart app, the driver is able to set their phone to drive mode. This will send any incoming calls directly to voicemail and any incoming texts will be muted and an automatic response is sent.

When parents subscribe to the Drive Smart Plus plan ($4.99 per month), the app will be able to detect when the owner of the cell phone is in a moving vehicle and will automatically start the program. People in the car can override the drive mode using their cell phone.

However, parents would be notified when the override is used, so it helps to keep everyone in the know and safe. This app is available on both iPhone and Android and has a free, basic version or the Drive Smart Plus add-on.

3. Family360 - Family Locator

Family360 - Family Locator is a free app that allows you to locate people, with their consent, through their mobile phone and know their location at any time and in real-time. To do so, your teen drivers will need to have the Family360 app installed.

The app is completely free and allows you to create your circles of friends and family. This will show them on a map and allows you to share your location with family. You can also share your journey/travels and be in the eyes of your group members.

Family360 will send you alerts when people in your circle leave or enter a place. You will also be alerted when they are driving over the speed limit.

With the GPS tracker, it also allows you to find any possible lost phones. Family360 is available to use on both iPhone and Android.

4. Teen Driving Apps - DriveScribe

The DriveScribe app is also known as the "Safe Driving Coach." It is available on both Android and iPhone for no charge and helps to monitor teen driving and will reward them for safe driving habits.

After each driving trip, the app will assign the driver with a safe driving score. Over time, the teen will be able to accumulate points and redeem them for Amazon or other gift cards.

5. Driving Monitor App - Road Ready

Road Ready is definitely one of the best apps to monitor teen drivers. The driving monitor app is part of the Parent’s Supervised Driving Program and offers parents and teens an easy, educational and convenient way to log the state required supervised driving time with the click of a button.

The app allows parents to track driving experiences. This allows them to rest assure knowing they have enough experience behind the wheel in a variety of conditions before they start driving on their own.

Road Ready will also give users tips for safe driving. These suggested safe-driving tips will allow teens to continue to learn long after parents hand them the keys to the car.

They are all good apps, but which ones are parents out there choosing for their families? What do you think are the best apps for tracking teenage drivers in 2022?

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our friendly support staff. If you want to start your driver's training journey with Coastline Academy, make sure to sign up for Drivers Ed and book your driving lesson today.