It is hard for me to believe I have a child who is almost an adult! My daughter Caitlin is almost 17 and a junior in high school. I mean, where has the time gone? As a parent of an older teen, one of the biggest challenges we face is teaching our kids to drive. We all know there is so much more to driving than learning the basics of how a car functions and the rules of the road. Caitlin has been studying the manual from the local DMV.

She is also enrolled in driver’s ed at school, which I was really excited about. This program is designed to help the kids get their driver’s license. What I thought was cool is they have speakers come to talk about different aspects of driving. Last week, a semi-truck driver from Walmart came to talk about blind spots. The kids all got to sit in the seat of the truck and see first hand what the driver was talking about. Very cool!

Another cool thing the kids have learned is how many smartphone apps are available to them. There are many apps that range from helping keep your car insurance rates down to keeping track of where the kids are while driving. With our iPhone 6 from U.S. Cellular, we can download several safe driving phone apps into Caitlin’s phone. With the new school year being underway, we have more teen drivers on the road. No matter how responsible your teen is, driving is a major milestone that should be celebrated as well as respected. U.S. Cellular provides a high-quality network and national coverage that keeps customers connected in big and small cities and rural communities, and has several resources that can help families with young drivers have some peace of mind.

For Caitlin, one of the most helpful resource is U.S. Cellular’s Vehicle Monitoring System. It allows parents to identify their child’s location as well as any mechanical issues with the car. After putting the easy-to-install module in the car, we can use the app on Caitlin’s iPhone 6 from U.S. Cellular to check her vehicle’s location on a map as well as decipher engine codes to be aware of mechanical issues.

Another app I liked is the My Max Speed app, which can be download here for your IOS smartphone. This app can be used to monitor your teen’s driving habits. It will show you the speed and location, which can be transferred to a spreadsheet! DriveSafe Mode: This app will allow you to keep track of whether your kids are using their phone while driving. You will receive a notification via email, when the driver’s phone is in use and vehicle is in motion.

Safe Driving Phone Apps For Teen Drivers

I have also signed the U.S. Cellular® Better Moments Parent-Child Agreement with Caitlin. This agreement ensures we are both on the same page when it comes to using her iPhone 6 responsibility. It is a great resource to help facilitate a conversation with families around acceptable use of mobile devices. The agreement, which you can download here,  is customizable and parents can use it to set certain parameters for phone use as well as driving responsibilities and limitations. Parents and teenagers can agree in writing that young drivers should not use their cellphones while driving. Be sure to check out my post from August, Summer Music Festivals Must Haves.

Do you have a teen driver in your home? If so, what steps do you take to ensure their safe driving?