General Motors is looking to help parents relax when their teenage children are out on the road with its recently announced set of technological tools that will be added to its cars.
With these new tools, parents will be able to teach their kids how to drive safely by adjusting the settings in the car system to let their kids know when they are driving too fast, according to TechFrag. The system also comes with a "vehicle report card" that will inform parents of their children's driving routine, including their speed and distance traveled.
"We developed this system so parents could use it as a teaching tool with their kids- they can discuss and reinforce safe driving habits," said MaryAnne Beebe, General Motors safety engineer. "As a mother of two, I know anything that has the potential of keeping one's family safer is of great value of parents."
GM says those aged between 16 and 19 are three times more likely to get involved in a fatal crash for every mile driven than drivers who are aged 20 and over, Tech Times reported. The goal of the Detroit, Mich.-based automaker's new tools is to reduce this rate and make the road safer for drivers of all ages.
Parents will also be able to program the system so that the radio only turns on when the front seat belts are fastened, as well as set the maximum volume of the radio to a level they are comfortable with. Settings that will automatically turn on when the car is in "teen driver" mode include traction control, front and rear park assist, forward collision alert, side blind zone alert and automatic light control.
The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu will be the first vehicle to include the new tools, and GM says it plans on installing the technology in its future cars, Tech Times reported.
"The first step with this technology is to make sure that all drivers and passengers within the car are safe," said Steve Majoros, marketing director of Chevrolet. "In addition to innovative safety technologies like this, you will see efficiency, advanced connectivity and stunning design in the 2016 Malibu."
