Kudos to Maryland for their efforts in attempt to make teen driving safer. Free cameras that mount to a car's interior windshield are available to families with teen drivers. The cameras record footage only when sensors are triggered by excessive G-forces, that typically would accompany maneuvers such as sudden braking or swerving. I'm sure teens don't like it, but it sounds like a solid idea for motivating safer driving.
With Car Cameras, Teen Drivers Have Wide Audience
More than 100 cameras that record the moments before and after an unusual driving maneuver are still available for free for Southern Maryland families with teenage drivers.
The cameras are among the latest tools in the effort to reduce teen car crashes, a troublesome problem in Southern Maryland. Last year, crashes involving drivers ages 16 to 20 killed 15 people in the region, where young drivers have few public transportation options and often long commutes to school.
The cameras, produced by San Diego-based DriveCam, are paid for with a $170,000 grant from the Maryland Highway Administration, officials said. Typically, the hardware, installation and a year of service cost about $900. After the first year, the service runs about $30 a month. In Southern Maryland, Best Buy will install the cameras for free.
The cameras are mounted on the front windshield and capture activity inside and outside the vehicle. They save about 20 seconds of footage when sensors are triggered by excessive G-forces, which tend to accompany maneuvers such as sudden braking or swerving.
Saved footage is transmitted to DriveCam via a cellular network. Experts review the videos, add tips for the young drivers and post them on a Web site where parents can see them a day or so later. Parents receive an e-mail alert when the videos are posted.
Source: Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/24/AR2008102403988.html
For more information and ideas on keeping your teen driver safe, see my article on HomeWord.com:
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