This is National Teen Driver Safety Week. As a teen, you probably jumped for joy the day you passed your driver’s test. For parents, that day can be more stressful. First-time drivers don’t have the experience that can guide them through challenging situations – and they may not fully consider the risks of dangerous or distracted driving. General Motors created Teen Driver technology, which aims to help encourage safe driving habits.
“Teen Driver was formed upon review of data from the field, including the metrics that we know are leading causes for fatalities among teen drivers,” says Suzanne Johansson, GM’s head of child safety. “Regulating aspects of vehicle operation can help mitigate some of the distractions and risks that can adversely impact first-time and inexperienced drivers.”
With Teen Driver technology, a parent or guardian can designate one of the car’s key fobs as the Teen Driver key. When this key is used to start the vehicle, a suite of safety features is automatically engaged and cannot be turned off.
With the Teen key in use, the audio system or any paired device stays muted until all front-seat passengers buckle their seatbelts. In some models, Buckle to Drive prevents the driver from shifting out of Park until all front-seat passengers are buckled up. Parents can set a maximum volume level for the audio system.
A speed warning can be set for any speed between 40 and 75 mph, and an 85-mph speed limiter can be enabled. On some models, the vehicle’s acceleration power can be limited when the Teen key is in use. Super Cruise driver assistance technology is blocked when the Teen key is in use, and traction control, stability control, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking cannot be turned off.
One exclusive capability of GM’s Teen Driver technology is the Teen Driver Report Card. After every drive using the Teen key, a parent or guardian can access a PIN-protected readout showing the distance driven, the maximum speed the vehicle reached, and the number of times the accelerator pedal was floored. The system also shows whether safety systems like Traction Control or Stability Control were triggered.
Johansson says the Report Card gives parents and guardians the opportunity to have a discussion about safe driving habits with their teens. “Making it part of your conscious decision-making while you’re driving can help to mitigate risky behavior,” she says. “It’s a good tool to promote discussions that can help kids understand the importance of safe driving practices.”
Teen Driver technology was first featured in the 2016 Chevy Malibu. Today, it comes as standard equipment on dozens of models from Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC.
Safety or driver assistance features are no substitute for the driver’s responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner. The driver should remain attentive to traffic, surroundings, and road conditions at all times. Visibility, weather, and road conditions may affect feature performance. Read the vehicle’s owner’s manual for more important feature limitations and information.