“No dear. It isn’t spying when I help make the car payments and pay the insurance.” Even if your teen is the most trustworthy young adult you’ve ever encountered, peer pressure can make kids veer off the road of good behavior into the weeds of an impending accident. We want to be able to trust our children no matter what. But it could be something as simple as two friends fighting over what song to play next on the track list. All it takes is a few seconds of your child’s eyes off the road to lead to disaster. Luckily, a VZAN retailer has the technology solutions to help keep wandering eyes on the road – and give you a report card on their activities behind the wheel.
What About just a Simple App?
There are some good apps out there that keep tabs on your loved ones with smartphones. Life360 is among the most popular. However, that still doesn’t give you verification about what was happening inside the car last night. Smartphone tracking apps used in conjunction with integrated vehicle safety solutions yield the best results for keeping your loved ones safe. We want to trust our children and not be spies, but dashcam solutions with GPS let you see what’s happening on the ride. That can be the only evidence that can vindicate your child if someone suggests they were doing something wrong. Life can get complicated if they give rides to their friends and an accident occurs. Lifelong kindergarten friendships can deteriorate in seconds once legal action is pursued. But technology can help answer any unanswered questions.
For example, Kenwood’s DRV-A700WDP dashcam features two cameras that record both front and rear. If you choose, you can have the rearward-viewing camera be installed to record the cabin of the vehicle. Just in case your teen gets the bright idea of stuffing seven kids into a Honda Civic, with no one wearing seat belts (we’ll leave it to you the amount of time they lose their driving privileges for this stunt). The recording is viewable through Kenwood’s Wireless Link App software.
Voxx Electronics has an innovative replacement rearview mirror with an integrated screen. The rearview mirror has a built-in DVR so you’ll know exactly what happened in case your child has an encounter on the road. As a bonus, if the vehicle doesn’t have smartphone Bluetooth or navigation built in, the rearview mirror can also do those tasks! Which is great if you ever borrow their car, or if they still can’t find their way to the neighboring town no matter how many times you’ve taken them there. They’ve probably been staring at their screen for the past 16 years ….
Keep Your Kids and Property Safe
Like the Kenwood dash cam, the Pioneer VREC-DZ700DC features dual cameras and conceals the power cable connections. It needs proper installation by a VZAN-recommended retailer so there are no ugly wires and everything remains tidy. The unit also features a parking security mode. A built-in motion sensor will detect vibrations (from either a vandal or rogue shopping cart) and will automatically capture and save video 20 seconds before and after an incident is detected.
Bringing Safety and Convenience
On the latest EVs, software allows you to monitor the vehicle remotely. You can get information about where you parked and remote start the vehicle. Carlink by VOXX takes that technology to your child’s car today. The Carlink ASCL6 allows you to get alerts about vehicle location and speed. It also allows you or your child to start the vehicle remotely. Although that may be considered a luxury feature, we don’t mind the idea of having a vehicle with a preheated cabin ready to roll when a teenager is driving. Rather than loitering in the mall parking lot waiting for the car to defrost, they’re on their way as soon as they get inside the vehicle safely. The car doors remain locked until they press a button on their phone or use the vehicle’s transmitter. The Carlink ASCL6 will report the vehicle’s interior temperature so they can wait with their friends inside the mall until the car gets warm. The Carlink ASCL6 can also be integrated with vehicle security systems to let you know if the car alarm has been triggered. They can then check things out from a distance and alert the authorities if they sense something is wrong.
