With cars and people becoming more and more connected, parents are looking for more ways to keep an eye on their kids and keep them safe. A big danger for teens is behind the wheel. Texting, speeding, partying, and showing off behind the wheel aren't safe for anyone, but the effect can be exaggerated for younger drivers with less experience. Research done by General Motors has shown that parents are more worried about teens driving than they are about drugs, alcohol, sex, or school.
As a result of this, GM is looking at ways to help remove some of the distractions of driving and try to make things a little safer. Or at least give parents a sense of security. With that in mind, Chevrolet is putting their Teen Driver technology suite on 10 models for 2017.
Teen Driver equipped vehicles have a number of ways and methods to spoil your teen's fun. For example, a parent can limit the maximum stereo volume. They can also mute the volume if a front row occupant isn't buckled up. Parents can also set a preset speed limit that will cause the vehicle to sound an audible warning if the speed is exceeded. The car can also be set to not allow the active safety systems (like traction or stability control, or forward collision braking) to be turned off.
But the real spoilsport is the tracking and notification. That's right, the car will record wide open throttle, ABS activation, maximum speed, tailgate alerts, and traction control engagement. It will then deliver a report card to the user who has the access information.
The feature will be available on 2017 Bolt, Camaro, Colorado, Cruze, Malibu, Silverado, Silverado HD, Suburban, Tahoe and Volt models. There is no subscription required, but it is key-based, so parents must register the key fob to a person in the vehicle settings.