Parenting a teenager isn’t always easy. It’s often emotional and stressful, but watching your child grow into an independent and capable adult is worth the stress. One of the biggest moments of independence for a teen is getting their driver's license and getting out on the road on their own.
You can help your teen stay safe when they’re on their own — driving, hanging out with friends, or going to their first job — with the help of smartphone apps for teens. We found four of the top safety apps your teen can download to help them stay safe, drive better, and share their location with you — check them out below.
1. Bond
One of the current leading personal safety apps is Bond. Available for both Android and Apple phones, Bond provides personal safety features for teens and adults alike. The free version gives you access to location sharing information so you can keep track of loved ones when they’re on the go.
If you choose a premium plan, your teen gets access to additional safety features such as:
- 24/7 access to live security agents who can be contacted via text, audio, and video and can help coordinate emergency services.
- The ability to schedule security check-ins.
- Track Me on the Go and Track My Walk modes where a security agent will alert your emergency contacts if you leave your intended route or don’t arrive at your intended destination in time.
- Send Me a Car, which coordinates a rideshare pickup in a safe location to get your teen safely to their destination. This service has added costs related to the cost of the rideshare car.
2. First Aid App from the American Red Cross
No one wants to think about their child getting hurt – especially when you’re not there to provide medical care or comfort.. However, as your teen spends more time on their own, learning basic first aid skills could prove to be lifesaving in an emergency.
The First Aid App from the American Red Cross is one of the apps teens should have on their phones. The app is free and comes loaded with first aid advice to help your teen administer first aid if they have a minor injury when out and about. This includes video how-tos and step-by-step instructions for administering first aid in common minor emergencies. It also has interactive quizzes your teen can use to learn more and test their knowledge on first aid.
3. RoadReady
RoadReady is part of The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program and one of the best apps for teens learning to drive. This program helps parents teach their teens to drive safely. You can download the app for either Android or Apple devices and use it to track a teen’s driving time as they get ready to apply for a driver's license.
In addition to a timed logbook, you can use RoadReady to track driving conditions like weather or traffic. You’ll also be able to identify areas where your teen could improve their driving and get safe driving tips.
4. Life360
The Life360 app is an all-in-one safety app for the whole family that includes location sharing, access to live agents, and safe driving features. The app is a paid subscription that could help your teen — and the whole family — be safer.
Some of the most notable features of the paid app include:
- The ability to save common family routes and monitor the average time it takes to reach a destination, such as work or school.
- Notifications when a family member arrives or leaves a specified location.
- Directions to other family members’ locations with the tap of a button.
- SOS features to alert other family members if you’re in trouble.
- Weekly driving summaries for the whole family and individual members.
- Crash detection to let family members and emergency responders know if an accident occurs.
Get Parenting Peace of Mind with Teen Safety Phone Apps
These four safety apps could help your teen live a safer life — even when you’re not around. Remember that smartphone apps change frequently and it’s important to keep any safety apps you download updated for the best protection.
Downloading safety apps is only the first step in keeping your teen safe. Another way to help keep your teen safe on the road is to add roadside assistance to your car insurance. Roadside assistance provides emergency services if your teen has a breakdown on the road, including emergency towing, fuel delivery, and tire change service.
Get in touch with a Wawanesa agent today to learn more about protecting your teen and their car with auto insurance and roadside assistance coverage.
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