Dashboard Unit Keeps Teen Drivers From Speeding

When you grow up in rural Ohio, much of your time after getting your driver’s license is spent bombing around backcountry roads with your friends. Therefore, I have no doubt my mother would have loved the idea of equipping my car with a Tracer HUD system.

The Tracer is a glorified GPS tracking device that rats on registers teenage drivers who exceed a speed limit by sending a text message to a parent’s cell phone. You see, the GPS device knows the designated speed limit for any given road, and as soon as the young driver begins to creep past that, it alerts a vigilant parent. Likely, a fight by cell phone ensues.

To help the teenage driver maintain a safe speed limit, the Tracer sits on the dash and projects the car’s speed right onto the windshield to help avoid a slip-up. The unit is powered by a basic connection to a 12-volt outlet and — presumably — notifies the parent if the kid tries to disconnect it. We assume this is the case because, without this feature, the whole concept would be pretty much pointless.

No word yet on if the Tracer also narcs on kids who go to Tina’s party after the dance even though they specifically said they were spending the night at Billy’s. Protective parents will just have to wait and see.

Tracer HUD Tattles on Speeding Teens Via SMS (Jalopnik)

Comments

"Likely, a fight by cell phone ensues."

So, your kid is speeding and you get on your cell phone and call them while they are speeding.

What Tom said. It sounds like a useless distraction. And will it go off if they're only 1 mph over the limit? I know a lot of roads where the posted is 35 but the average is 50+.

Onstar probably already has this capability...just wait until these "texts" go to the police departments.

This really isn't a bad idea, it may take time for that windshield display to stop being an annoyance. I could see this being useful for adults as well, because I've noticed around here that alot of adults and older people drive their cars like they're jet fighters. I bet it'd drive the cops crazy receiving all those alerts about speeding.

A better plan is that it controls the speed. With todays drive by wire evolution it can simply limit them to 5mph over max. Based on his attitude, my son never touched my cars. Wanna drive? Get a job and buy a car. And no, you can't tie your insurance to ours. It took way too many years to finally get preferred customer status and you're not blowing it.

Infosaur,

I remember the I-75 around Atlanta is 55mph, and the average speed during morning rush hour was 85.

Anyway, I think this device should make insurance company lower the rates a little bit on teenage drivers.

I hope no one buys it.