Moving from high school to college can change things for students, big time! Many of them will move away from
their family and friends for the first time in their lives. Of course, some will commute from home, but
others will stay on campus because they will shift to a new state or country.
Regardless of the distance, parents will experience the anxiety of sending their kids away. It is never easy
for them to let go of their children whom they have kept out of harm’s way at an arm’s length for years. Now
that the parents can’t cater to the needs of their children, they will need some reassurance to sleep at
night.
To do so, the parents might set an agreement with their children to call or text them periodically. However,
there might be situations where they may not be able to contact their parents immediately. Their phone may
have died, may be in a location with poor cell service, or in a loud environment preventing them from
hearing their phone. To resolve this issue, parents may search for other options such as a GPS tracker.
There are apps, portable devices, and vehicle trackers. GPS tracking apps and portable devices’ main feature
is to track the location of the person or object, while a vehicle GPS tracking device can track the
vehicle’s location and many other features that is very useful for drivers.
A car tracker for teenagers, particularly an OBD-II variant, is a small plug-and-play device that you
can install in your kid’s car with ease. Just plug it into the OBD-II port to collect data about vehicle
location, speed, etc. Most OBD GPS trackers operate similarly, but the electronic components can differ in
type and quality.
Vehicle GPS devices can be beneficial in several ways. For starters, they can collect vehicle information
once plugged in. Parents can monitor their children and how they drive remotely in real-time. Some devices
can even detect problems within the cars.
Vehicle trackers can also improve the driving behavior of the person behind the wheel. It warns you the
moment your teen accelerates rapidly or applies the brakes harshly.
Coming to an agreement
Even with all the perks of GPS tracking, the real challenge for a parent is to get their children to agree to
use such a device. You must be open about why you want to use a GPS tracker. Some tips to bridge the gap
are:
1. No helicopter parenting
You must be familiar with this term, which refers to parents being overly involved with their children's
lives. This intense focus can negatively affect a child’s mental health, coping skills, self-image, etc.
Yes, engaged parenting has many benefits for kids, including feelings of acceptance and love, growth
opportunities, and better self-confidence. However, there is a problem - once fear dictates your parenting
and you start taking decisions based on what might happen, it becomes difficult to determine what kids learn
without you holding their hands.
Until you give up this nature, your teen will hesitate to let you monitor them from afar, even if they know
you only intend to keep them safe.
2. Be open
Communicate with your teenager openly that you intend to install a vehicle tracking system. While some brands
fabricate discreet devices you can hide inside the vehicle, your kids are probably more tech-savvy than you
are. Naturally, it will not take long for them to pry it out.
Additionally, intentionally hiding the fact that you’re attempting to monitor them will incite hard feelings.
To avoid such a situation, just explain to your child why you want to install this system and the benefits
you see. For instance, if they have a medical condition that strikes without warning, they can send a quick
message to their parents and the parents can help them since they know their exact location.
3. Set boundaries
Let your teenager know what you will track and what you won’t. For instance, you might want to find out where
your child is when he/she goes out with friends - something he/she will do often when in college. However,
you won’t track him/her when he/she drives within the college premises or within a specific boundary you set
around the educational facility with the geozone feature .
By setting clear boundaries, you show them that you respect their privacy and trust them.
Situations you can help teenagers avoid
The ultimate objective of vehicle tracking is to keep children safe on the road. Parents send their teenagers
to colleges to study. They will not mind if their kids get into scrapes while playing a round of ball game,
but they will never want teens to end up in the hospital after a car accident.
GPS trackers can curb such situations by:
- Eliminating distractions- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) describes distracted driving as an activity that diverts the attention of the person
sitting behind the wheel. This activity can be anything from texting to talking on the phone, eating,
drinking, chatting with the passengers, fiddling with the infotainment systems, etc. With GPS trackers,
parents can track their teens’ locations and find out how they handle their cars in real time.
- Eliminating speeding - The NHTSA also claims that almost one-third of all motor vehicle
fatalities over the last two decades happened due to speeding. A GPS tracker can be the
perfect solution if you’re worried about your teen’s penchant for driving fast. These devices make it
possible to determine the speed of a car remotely without being in it with the driver. So, set a speed
limit and ask your kid not to exceed it.
- Eliminating rash driving - Rash driving is not only about speeding. Hard braking and turning are
also unwanted driving behaviors. While you can overlook the occasional hard braking and sharp turning
during emergencies, those should not occur regularly. Teens indulge in joyriding, but it doesn’t have to
involve rash driving. You can monitor all these driving habits remotely if you connect an OBD-II vehicle
tracker to your child’s car.
How can Vyncs help
Transitioning from high school to college is not just about moving to a higher level of education. In several
ways, it signifies the change from childhood to adulthood. Naturally, if you expect your teen to become a
responsible adult, their on-road behavior should reflect the same.
Vyncs can be your best friend, as well as that of your kid. It can do everything described
above and more. Whenever your teen needs support after the car breaks down on the roads, the Vyncs mobile
app will provide them with roadside assistance. Also, students often forget about vehicle maintenance
because they are new drivers and their parents have been taking care of their cars for them. Vyncs vehicle
maintenance features will inform them once it spots something amiss.
With college comes the freedom of adulthood, but it’s always better to stay safe than sorry. That’s where
Vyncs can help.