Until their teen pulls back into the driveway, parents are at a state of unrest. Not that they don’t trust the teen. It’s just a natural reaction when they have no clue what may be happening out on the road. It’s a problem we all face: Fear of the Unknown. But is there a solution?
DashBoks (available for purchase at www.Dashboks.com) is a device that works much like a black box. It can be plugged into the dashboard of any car. Data is sent to your smartphone, iPad, laptop or desktop DashBoks app, which tracks routes in real time and keeps a 30-day history log (or longer if requested). It will also monitor driving speeds by sending an email and text notification every time a speed limit is breeched or a safety zone is crossed.
I had the pleasure of speaking to a full-time working mother, Sheri, and her 16-year-old teen-driver, Lyndsey, who are currently using this new solution.
Sheri loves the idea of not having to constantly communicate with her daughter through calls and messages, and potentially distracting her while she is en-route. It relaxes her when she gets alerts of Lyndsey’s whereabouts, whether she is running late to class, or in case her car breaks down.
When asked about the potential invasion of privacy issue that could be raised by many teens across the country, Sheri said, “What teens need to remember is that, at their age, driving is not a right, it’s a privilege. As a parent, my role is to supervise until supervision is proven no longer necessary.”
Using DashBoks since January of this year has started to take some of the stress out of her life. She encourages parents to use this product, and to join the DashBoks Facebook (http://facebook.com/Dashboks) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/DashBoks) communities online.
“I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that this device is plugged into my teen’s car. I know that this device cannot prevent an accident, but still knowing that my teen is okay and knowing where to find her if she needs help allows me more peace of mind as a working mother.”
Surprisingly, Lyndsey’s take on having this device plugged into her car and allowing her mother to know about her whereabouts was somewhat similar to her mother’s. Lyndsey is pretty open to the idea and feels that this device has many benefits and shouldn’t be associated with terms such as “invasion of privacy”.
“We’re all still learning to drive, and figuring out what’s right from wrong. I feel more confident when I’m driving alone, knowing that if I run out of gas, or if my car breaks down, that my mom will know exactly where to find me.”
Lyndsey is also of the view that through this process of having DashBoks inserted into teens’ cars parents can see exactly how good of a driver they actually are, and this could potentially foster trust between parents and teens everywhere.
DashBoks CEO and founder, Rick Burtner, is pleased that DashBoks has been receiving positive feedback from users so far. While developing this product, Rick had another use for this product in mind, apart from ensuring good driving practices for teenagers. Adult children of aging parents with memory challenges would find DashBoks very useful in terms of providing assistance to their parents in case they find themselves lost, or unable to remember where they were headed. Being able to remotely monitor aging parents would render a sense of being taken care of for the parents, but not signify total dependency on their children, which is something most aging adults often refuse to do. Keeping an eye on their teenagers and aging parents without really getting in their way will ensure safety, security, and a sense of assurance!
DashBoks is definitely an ideal driving add-on for all ages and family members: Safe driving for all!
This article was written by Sri Vidya Bulusu for Propel GPS and not by The Chronicle editorial staff.
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