Teen Trackers!
Okay, this just sounds like a real area of brutal contention to arise.
Insurance companies are now encouraging parents to install "teen trackers" on the family car. These self-contained cameras mount behind rearview mirrors and film road conditions as well as what the teen is doing at the time.
Check out DriveCam's tech at http://www.drivecam.com/.
Courts have ruled that children living in their parents' homes have a right to privacy. Therefore, it's against the law for parents to invade the space of their children and do drug search and seizures or simply check up on their kids. I've never agreed with that one, but I've never felt the need to invade my kids' space either. When they turn into teens and get around friends who smoke and drink, I do the human breathalyzer thing, though. I'm pretty good at it and I'm diligent.
Can you imagine the invasion of privacy suits that would result from this?
But, even without the legal ramifications, the whole idea of packing a camera onto the car for the kids seems a little far-fetched. For one, I don't think they're going to be relaxed while driving. I wouldn't be.
For another, I'd be tempted to go all Evel Knievel about then and would probably die after saying those famous words, "Hey y'all, watch this!" We've already trained our kids to show out for home movies! Isn't that so cute?
Plus, if there was an accident where guilt was kind of sketchy and your teen might actually get off, here's proof of their mistake. Or cops who might make a ruling one way would change their minds after seeing the footage -- or take MONTHS to render a decision. (Football red flag review anyone? And boy, hasn't that helped the game out! Now everyone's having to start 30mins early to get the game in by bedtime.)
Furthermore, and I think this is the most important one, I think a whole underground economy would spring up with thieves stealing these cameras (most of them are located OUTSIDE the car). Just go to any mall and pluck video cameras like plump grapes to sell to pawn shops. Can you make it any easier?
1 comment:
I'm not too sure about this one. I can see good things and bad things about it. Plus with the 12 'bumps in the road' I've had I'm just glad my parents didn't have one in my car while I was living at home. It was enough to know I'd hit a mail box they didn't need to know I was drifting at the time.
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