The best apps won’t just tell you the location of your teen driver but will also alert you in case of an accident. So, what are the best apps you can use to track your new teen driver?
Why Do you Need an App to Track Your Teen Driver?
According to CDC, teenagers between 16 to 19 years old have the highest rate of motor vehicle accidents compared to other age groups. In fact, vehicle-related accidents are one of the leading causes of mortality among teenagers in the U.S. Some of the most common reasons for accidents among new teenage drivers include distracted driving, inexperience, overspeeding, and intoxication.
It makes sense to use an app not just to monitor your teen driver’s driving habits but for safety purposes.
The best apps automatically alert you if your teen driver gets into an accident and requests medical services. Also, some tracking apps offer 24/7 roadside assistance in case of a car breakdown.
If you’re worried about privacy, most apps have an option that lets your teen drivers share their real-time location with you. In the United States, it’s legal to install a tracking device in a vehicle registered in your name (via NCSL). Some states also allow you to track your minor’s vehicle secretly, but asking for consent is recommended.
Alternatively, you could also install apps to find your parked car.
1. Life 360
With more than 100 million downloads across the Play Store and App Store, Life 360 is one of the most popular apps for parents to track teenage drivers. It doesn’t just track the location of your child, but it lets you know their driving behavior, such as speed, phone distraction, hard braking, and acceleration. What’s more, if your teenage driver gets into an accident, the app will send you an automatic message and SOS alert for emergency assistance.
Life 360 is free, but if you want to enjoy benefits such as stolen phone coverage, silent SOS help alert, live agent support, and 24/7 roadside assistance, you need to pay for a premium package—Gold for $8.99 per month, or Platinum for $19.99 per month.
Download: Life 360 for Android I iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
2. FamiSafe
The FamiSafe app includes a drive safety feature that lets you know your teenage driver’s driving habits, providing your teen driver’s real-time location, and crucial data such as average speed, total distance covered, and highest speed recorded. If your teenage driver surpasses the speed limit or steps too hard on the brake pedal, you will get an alert on your smartphone.
Besides that, you can compare weekly driving reports to highlight which dangerous driving patterns your teen driver needs to break. If you’re worried about distracted driving, the FamiSafe app will monitor the screen time of your teen driver so you can know if they use the phone while driving. You also have the option to upgrade to the Monthly Plan for $14.98 per month, which unlocks more features.
Download: FamiSafe for Android I iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
3. Bouncie
If your teen driver goes offline while driving, you could lose important data if you rely on the smartphone for location tracking. However, if you install the Bouncie system, you can prevent that from happening.
This is because Bouncie doesn’t use your teenager’s smartphone to transmit the data since you can install the tracker device into the OBD port of your car. It’s easy to install, and once you’re done, the trip data is sent directly to your smartphone. Like most tracking apps, Bouncie will also tell you when your teen driver is speeding, accelerating too fast, braking too hard, or idling the engine.
But what makes Bouncie one of the best options is that it can monitor your vehicle’s fuel economy, battery, oil consumption, and engine condition. If you pay the $8 monthly service fee, it will call roadside assistance if your teenage driver needs help with a flat tire, towing, jump-starting, key lockout, or gasoline. As another option, you could recommend other apps for finding cheap tires and services.
Another cool thing is that Bouncie features accident detection, plus it’s compatible with IFTTT, Google Assistant, and Alexa.
Download: Bouncie for Android I iOS ($8 monthly subscription required)
4. Tesla App
If you own a Tesla, you don’t need to rely on third-party apps to track or monitor your new teenage driver since Tesla has its own mobile app. As long as your Tesla vehicle and smartphone are paired, you can track your teen driver remotely. But what makes it one of the best options is that you can control the maximum speed limit and acceleration via its app—this can help to prevent your teenage driver from speeding.
Besides that, you can receive an alert on your Tesla app if suspicious activity is detected. The latest Tesla models also make it possible to monitor the surroundings of your teen driver through a live camera feed on your smartphone when the vehicle is parked. Not to mention, you can control everything from the windows, engine, horn, lights, and climate control remotely.
Download: Tesla app for Android I iOS (Free)
5. Hum by Verizon
Hum by Verizon is not just an app: it comes with an ODB reader, Bluetooth speaker, Wi-Fi hotspot, and a car charger with a cable. The app is paired to the GPS- enabled OBD device so you can locate your car remotely. The Hum app will also compile a safety report based on your teen’s driving habits, such as acceleration, speed, cornering, and braking.
Better yet, if your teen driver forgets when to service a vehicle, Hum by Verizon comes with a reminder, diagnostics checkup, and “ask a mechanic” option for any car-related advice. The Bluetooth speaker is clipped to the car’s visor to help drivers answer hands-free calls without taking their eyes off the road. Not to forget, your teen driver can request emergency assistance through the Bluetooth speaker in case of an accident or a breakdown.
Hum is available at two different subscription tiers, which slightly change the coverage you receive:
- Humx: $15/month, including in-car Wi-Fi and roadside assistance.
- Hum+: $10/month, but in-car Wi-Fi can be added for an extra $10/month.
Download: Hum by Verizon for Android I iOS (Free, premium subscription available)
Not All Cars Need Third Party Tracking Apps
If you drive a car model built post-2020, you probably don’t need a third-party app to track your teen driver.
Most car manufacturers, including BMW, Hyundai, GM, Ford, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Mazda, Audi, Dodge, Chevrolet, Chrysler, and Kia, use digital car keys. This means that you can store your car keys in an encrypted mobile wallet—and most smartphones paired with digital car keys can track the location of your car.
But even if you don’t drive a car model that features smartphone digital keys, you can use any of the apps we’ve covered in this article to track and protect your teen driver.