[Aerich]

All the points you made are well-taken, Cerek, but is this technology the best way to do it? I have nothing against the principle of monitoring teenagers in cars and making them see/feel the consequences of driving irresponsibly. I can think of over 20 spots in my city of about 300 000 where there are flowers at the roadside in remembrance of casualties from vehicle accidents. Most of them young, most of them driving too fast, some of them drunk.

My worry is that some parents will rely on this gadget to such an extent that they ignore the part about teaching their kids how to drive (and showing by example!). Not that the GOOD parents will do that, but some will. The symptom is not the only thing that needs to be treated; the underlying attitudes and problems must be dealt with as well.

Nothing is for certain, and this expensive and unnecessary system will not help a whole lot. How is one to know whether a driver is going 70 mph on a freeway or on a winding mountain road? One is perfectly rational and relatively safe, the other is not. How is one to know whether the driver is driving responsibly or weaving dangerously in and out of traffic?

There are methods to promote responsible driving that are much more effective than this. IMO, they should all be used. Visual images are great. Footage of car crashes and still photos of dead bodies will have an effect. I'm reminded of the consequences of irresponsible driving everytime I see the flowers at the side of the road - a guided tour of those would also put a damper on the desire to speed. Best of all is to have a car accident survivor speak to a young driver. I'll never forget one of the speakers we had when I was in middle school. He was an accident survivor, but he paid a price; he was missing one arm and had gruesome burn scars on his face and head. That sort of thing is guaranteed to force a little contemplation.

I'm not saying that any of these methods are perfect. A drunk and/or reckless teen will get into accidents regardless of the controls and monitoring systems put on them. The point is, if the youth cannot be trusted to the extent of needing a speed-alarm device to ensure a parent's peace of mind, they're better off not driving.