National Teen Driver Safety Week: Help Straight Talk Eliminate Distractions While Driving

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Straight Talk Wireless. I am a #StraightTalkTester. All opinions are 100% mine.National Teen Driver Safety week is October 19 - 25. Even if you do not have a teen at home I am sure you realize the importance of creating awareness of the many distractions while driving a vehicle.

A police reported car crash happens nearly every 5 seconds. 80% of those are caused by distractions -Tweet this

  Straight Talk Wireless has teamed up with Driver's Edge to create awareness around the importance of eliminating distractions while driving in honor of National Teen Driver Safety week.Safe Driver Car Connection is an easy to use device that can plug into your car’s computer system to help monitor your vehicle. Not only can it track driving behaviors but it also provides parents with peace of mind when access to the Car Connection smartphone app available for iPhone and Android devices. Here are some of the awesome features of the Safe Driver Car Connection:Cell Phone Restriction - This is actually really cool! The device, in connection with the Zoom Safer app for iPhone and Android, sends a signal to the device to disable all text functionality and calling while the car is in motion. The sender is automatically notified that the driver will call them back. Even if you are not a teen or do not have a teen driver this is a nice feature to have. A lot of people ‘say’ that they do not text and drive, but even if you check a message your eyes are off of the road. This would prevent you from having that distraction at all.Driver Scoring - Not only will this monitor the acceleration and braking of the car when you teen is driving it, but it will help you to motivate your child to be better a driver. You ca get an overall driving score that includes driving habits and mileage.These are just two of the features of the Safe Driver Car Connection device, you can find out all the information about it here on their website along with everything that comes in the kit. It is available at Walmart or StraghtTalk.com for $149, and has two different service plans to choose from.You may be thinking that this seems like an invasive device and your teen will feel like you are invading their privacy. But, I am sure that you will agree when I say that their safety is your number one concern. Most teenagers do not like to be told what to do, but if you present this in a way that will still let them still feel like they have control while you get peace of mind it is a win-win situation.So, to test this out I asked my brother who turns sixteen in a few days what he thought about it. Naturally, you can probably guess what his answers were like once I told him details about the Safe Driver Car Connection, but his attitude about it changed by the end of the conversation.

Me: “Max, how do you feel about Mom and Dad being able to disable your incoming and outgoing phone calls and texts while you are driving?”

Max: “It seems a little bit over the top. Like, can’t they trust me that I won't text and drive?”

Me: “I am sure they trust you, but getting text messages when you are driving are distracting whether or not you reply back or not.”

Max: “Yeah, but I can be the judge of that. Not Mom and Dad.”

Me: “Well, what if I told you that this device could also track your driving progress so that Mom and Dad could see how ‘good’ of a driver you are?”

Max: “They do not need a device to tell them that I am a good driver. I AM a GOOD driver already.”

Me: “Yes, I get that, but this device can give you a driving score and then maybe they will give you more freedom driving and extend your curfew because you have proved how well you drive.”

Max: “I definitely would like that!”

Even though your teenager may fight you on this or disagree, the benefits of their safety while driving outweigh the small argument you may have until they realize the advantages of having this device.In addition to the Safe Driver Car Connection and the latest phones, Straight Talk offers nationwide coverage on America's largest and most dependable network. And now you can bring your own tablet and pick a data plan that works for you without having to sign a contract. Also, if you are looking for a new cell phone you can get the Alcatel OneTouch Pop Icon from Straight Talk in October for only $149.What do you think about the Safe Driver Car Connection? How do you think your teen would react?