children safely through those risky early driving years: A survey last month of 2,093 teens and parents from The Allstate Foundation found that 64 percent of parents were “actively looking for resources to help manage their teen’s driving experience.” Among the things they’re trying: » Insurer Esurance, the nation’s 29thlargest automobile insurer, is teaming up with Baton Rouge, La.-based Cellcontrol to offer a free distracted-driving app to its teen customers. It prevents users from receiving or sending text messages or surfing the Web while the car is in motion. Chris Henn, managing director of products for Esurance, says the app uses Bluetooth technology and will work with Android, BlackBerry and most Windows phones; it’s not yet available for iPhone users. “We’re intimately familiar with auto accidents and the carnage they can cause,” he says. “We really want to be on the side of the angels in being able to prevent these tragedies.” » Tire Rack Street Survival, a national nonprofit that aims to improve young driver competence through hands-on experience in real-world driving situations, is working to host 105 programs around the USA this year.
In 2012, the daylong, $75 program, which is taught by volunteers from local members of car clubs such as BMW Car Club of America, Sports Car Club of America and Porsche Club of America, trained over 1,900 drivers, says Matt Edmonds, vice president of Tire Rack, the primary sponsor. » OrigoSafe is a new ignition interlock system that requires drivers to secure their phones in a docking station before the vehicle will start. Rolled out last month, the system is generating significant interest among parents in the Roanoke, Va., area, where Origo is based, says inventor and President Clay Skelton. It costs $279, plus installation, but there is no monthly fee, he says. » Telecommunications giant Sprint offers a couple of options: Sprint Drive First is a service available for $2 per month per phone line that detects when a vehicle is moving more than 10 mph and disables a user’s ability to text. DriveCam allows parents to install or have installed a camera that notifies them in real time when a driver is breaking rules by speeding, swerving or leaving a particular area, says Matt Carter, president of Sprint Emerging and Wholesale Solutions.
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