You remember TIWI? The friendly teen driver GPS device that speaks to your teen telling them to slow down, that they've made a hard brake or hard acceleration (among other things). Read our post on TIWI from late January.
Well, TIWI has made it back in the local public spotlight with King 5 news. TIWI does most things that the other teen driver GPS devices do (tracking and reporting back to the parent with a text message or e-mail), but again, TIWI has set itself apart with a vocal alert which will continue until the teen has followed direction-- such as slowing down.
But is it this very vocal alert that might create a reliance on driving habits? For example, if 17-year-old Kayla is driving mindlessly, slowly but surely reaching speeds upwards of 80 miles per hour, TIWI will alert her to slow down when she goes 10 MPH over the speed limit! So in theory, Kayla will slow down. But take TIWI away, who is going to tell her to slow down?
Showing posts with label GPS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GPS. Show all posts
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Cell Phone Enabled GPS Tracking Device Created by Teen
At just 20 years old, Jonathan Fischer has created a Cell Phone GPS Teen Tracking Device which measures speed, curfew, and off-limit areas.
It works by having a black box installed in the vehicle. Anytime you speed or break other agreements it sends an annoying alert through the teen's cell phone.
Fischer began working on the device at 16 year of age after a local teen driver was killed behind the wheel due to speeding. He's won awards and even a hefty prize of $20,000 for his business plan.
The device is a pricey $250 to start and then $15 per month after. But a distinctive feature is in the GPS. Mapping lets the box know what the speed limit is on any given road, so if for example, you're going 10 miles over anywhere it will send the alert.
To learn more: www.livefastdriveslow.com.
It works by having a black box installed in the vehicle. Anytime you speed or break other agreements it sends an annoying alert through the teen's cell phone.
Fischer began working on the device at 16 year of age after a local teen driver was killed behind the wheel due to speeding. He's won awards and even a hefty prize of $20,000 for his business plan.
The device is a pricey $250 to start and then $15 per month after. But a distinctive feature is in the GPS. Mapping lets the box know what the speed limit is on any given road, so if for example, you're going 10 miles over anywhere it will send the alert.
To learn more: www.livefastdriveslow.com.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Q & A
A few frequently asked questions for parents of teen drivers like you...and maybe a couple you hadn't thought about! If you have additional questions, we'd be happy to answer them! Please e-mail us at info@sav-on.com or call one of our 6 locations at 1-888-867-2866.
What should parents consider when insuring teen drivers?
Why are insurance rates high for teen drivers?
How can parents reduce the cost of insuring their teen driver?
What should parents do to make sure they are protected in case their teen causes an accident?
How can parents reduce the likelihood of their teen causing an accident?
Many parents consider placing the teen on a separate policy. Is this a good idea?
What tools do you offer to parents to help them make their teens safer drivers?
How does the GPS Teen Driver Monitoring System work?
What should parents consider when insuring teen drivers?
Parents should consider 3 factors when insuring their teen driver. First, they need to do everything they can to prevent their teen from causing an accident. Lack of education and experience are the leading factors in teen driver accidents. Parents need to give their teen as much training and experience behind the wheel as possible to keep them safe and avoid costly tickets and accidents. Second, parents need to make sure they are protected in case their teen causes an accident. Teens are 5 times more likely to cause an accident that can result in a lawsuit than experienced drivers. Good insurance coverage is a must for parents with teen drivers.
Third, parents need an agent that understands how to protect families with teen drivers and how to help them get the right protection at the lowest cost. This agent can find ways to save money while offering coverage that can protect them from lawsuits.
Why are insurance rates high for teen drivers?
Teen drivers are five times more likely to cause accidents than experienced drivers. The cost of these claims are on average 3 times higher as well. Insurance companies know this and have to charge higher rates to cover the higher risk of costly and more frequent accidents.
How can parents reduce the cost of insuring their teen driver?
First, parents need to understand that the rates are highest during the first three years they are licensed and if their teen gets a ticket or causes accidents their rates can triple. If parents do everything they can to make sure their teen drives safely, they will save a small fortune in rate increases due to tickets and accidents. If they have an agent that specializes in protecting families with teen drivers, that agent most likely knows what companies offer the lowest rates and can help them save by increasing deductibles and finding every discount possible, i.e. like a discount for good grades.
What should parents do to make sure they are protected in case their teen causes an accident?
When a parent adds a teen driver to their insurance policy, the chances of them being involved in a lawsuit increases dramatically. Insurance companies will only pay what their liability limit is on their policy. If the accident is serious enough, the parent’s assets are at risk. They will have to pay the difference between the liability limit and the amount awarded by the lawsuit. This is the most critical time when they need an agent that specializes in protecting families with teen drivers. This agent can review their coverage and offer the right liability limits to protect their assets.
How can parents reduce the likelihood of their teen causing an accident?
Education and experience is most important for safe driving. Unfortunately, new drivers are lacking this. It is up to the parent to give them as much structured practice time behind the wheel as needed to learn the most important driving skills and reactions. A home study driving course such as the Safe Teen Driver Guide is an excellent way to give the teen the necessary education and experience. Parents should also consider a GPS Teen Driver Monitoring System to make sure that their teen continues to drive safely while the parent is not in the car.
Many parents consider placing the teen on a separate policy. Is this a good idea?
No, this is not a good idea. As long as the teen is dependent on the parents, (they live in the household or the parent owns the car, even if the child is away at school ), they can be held liable for their teen’s mistakes. When you place a teen on a separate policy, it is very difficult to get adequate coverage for the teen because they are considered “high risk” and most high risk insurance companies will only provide lower limits than what teen drivers need. Since the teen cannot get adequate coverage, the parents can still be sued for their teen’s accidents. It also costs more to insure teens on separate policies. They are charged higher rates since they are insured by companies that insure higher risk drivers. When the teen is on their parents’ policy, they get multi-car discounts and are usually insured by preferred companies with lower rates.
What tools do you offer to parents to help them make their teens safer drivers?
Our agency offers many tools to help parents keep their teen drivers safe. First we have the Safe Teen Driver Guide. This is a 16 step home study driving course that parents can use to give their teens the education and most importantly, the experience they need to drive safely. We also offer a GPS Teen Driver Monitoring System. This system can alert parents when their teen drives at high speeds, after curfew or beyond a specified driving range. It can also allow parents to “check in” on their teen to make sure they are safe. Another tool we offer is the Parent/Teen driver contract to help teens get a clear understanding of the rules set forth to have the privilege to drive. Our website offers other tools such as 101 teen driver safety tips, information on how to get protected at the lowest cost, and much more. Coming soon, we will be offering a “How’s My Driving” bumper sticker and incident reporting service.
How does the GPS Teen Driver Monitoring System work?
This amazing system can give parents peace of mind knowing that their teen is driving safely. It has a small GPS unit that is installed under the dash in the teen driver’s car. This unit is connected to a website that parents can access to set parameters and view the car’s location, speed, and even unlock the car doors if the teen locks his or her keys in the car. Once parameters are set for speed limits, driving distance, and curfew, parents can receive alerts when a teen break these parameters. It can also let parents know by text message, e-mail, or phone call when their teen arrives at a destination, such as arriving at school every day.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Split Second That Changed My Life
SAV-ON Insurance co-owner Phil Devitte suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a 1985 car accident that left him with a disability for the rest of his life; all because he wasn't wearing a seat belt. He is now a crusader for safe driving habits, from the use of seat belts and reckless driving to the use of cell phones and text messaging while driving. This is his story.
January 2, 1985 started out like most weekdays in Phil Devitte's life, with a commute down I-5 to his job in Des Moines. That morning it was very cold, but clear, and as Phil was nearing the South 188th Street exit he started moving over toward the exit lane. Suddenly he hit a patch of "black ice", and in a split second his car was spinning out of control. Phil, who was not wearing his seat belt, held tightly onto the steering wheel, hoping to regain control of the car. Instead, the car hit something that caused it to flip violently end-over-end through the air. Phil was ejected through his closed sunroof, and remembers tumbling through the air.
He recalls regaining consciousness while lying on the ground, and someone asking if he was OK. "Yeah, I'm OK," was his reply. But, when he tried to get up, he couldn't move his legs. In fact, he had no feeling whatsoever from the waist down! While someone called an ambulance, he laid there in disbelief. This couldn't be happening to HIM. This was something that happened to OTHER people. When he arrived at Valley General Hospital, they whisked him into the emergency room, took x-rays and ran a battery of tests. The results were shocking: Phil had broken his back and damaged his spinal cord, and the doctors told him he would never walk again.
One simple lane change and he faced the prospect of life in a wheelchair! Phil struggled to grasp the gravity of the situation as he lay in Valley General with a devastating injury. After a few days, he was wheeled into surgery and had rods and wires inserted in his damaged spine. A week later, as he was convalescing, Phil suffered a massive Pulmonary Embolism; a blood clot in his lung that caused him to lose consciousness. His heart stopped. Luckily, he was in the hospital, and the staff feverishly worked on him, trying to save his life. Fortunately, they succeeded. Phil remembers coming to with people in a frenzy all around him, and someone saying "Should we shock him again?" Seeing Phil coming out of it, the doctor stopped the procedure. Phil was alive again!
Phil spent more than three weeks in that hospital, and was determined to walk again, even though he was still paralyzed. To his dismay, his attending physician told him to stop hoping, that he was never going to walk again. He told Phil that he would be there to pick him up when he failed, and would help him back in his wheelchair. Late one night, alone in the hospital room with his thoughts, he wondered how he was going to achieve his goal of walking again when the doctors were telling him it couldn't happen. He wanted to die. Suddenly he heard a voice say to him, "Do you believe?" Phil answered "Yes, I do!" Phil felt a strength and determination he had never experienced before. Phil became more determined than ever.
The first step was firing his doctor, the one who had dashed his hopes. The second was transferring to the University of Washington Hospitals, one of the foremost spinal injury facilities in the country. Once at the UW, Phil was given a battery of tests to determine the extent of his injuries and the therapy he would require. One morning, the doctor came in and, as he always did, asked Phil to move his big toe. After a few seconds he said, "Now, move it again." Phil said incredulously, "What did you say?" He had moved his big toe! There was hope.
From that day, it would take 2 ½ years for Phil to learn to walk again without the aid of crutches. It was a slow, agonizing journey that was literally one step at a time. At one point, with the aid of arm crutches, Phil had struggled down the hall of the hospital, almost dragging his uncooperative feet with him. He turned around and looked back at where he'd been. "The pools of sweat were pools of success to me," recalls Phil. "I was focused on overcoming this with an intensity that became an obsession." Every day he would spend 8-10 hours working on his rehabilitation. There was no let-up.
After more than a year of this, he was able to walk without support, get his driver's license back and went back to work. He continued to feverishly work on his therapy, exercise constantly and attempt to get stronger. Then, in 1990, five years after his accident, he decided to ease up. He was walking again, although not without some stiffness (he told his kids he walked like the tin man from The Wizard of Oz), but realized that he had accomplished his goal of walking again, and now he wanted to work with organizations to counsel young people on the dangers of driving.
He was now a firm believer in seat belts, since the chances are he would be OK today if he had worn one that fateful morning. But, in addition to that, he wanted to educate them that it only takes one mistake while driving to forever change (or end) your life. He began working with an organization called "Think First", an outreach program that deals with the dangers of driving while on drugs or alcohol, driving without using seat belts, speeding and reckless driving, and other dangerous activities.In 1998, Phil moved to the Palm Springs area to open a "Think First" chapter there, and volunteered at a trauma center where he counseled victims of brain and spinal cord injuries. He was able to bring his message of hope to thousands of young drivers during that time.
In 2000, he came back to the Seattle area and returned to SAV-ON Insurance, determined to make a difference here, knowing that 39% of all accidents happen to drivers who have been driving 10 months or less! He has spoken to students at driving schools, and now SAV-ON Insurance is affiliated with the "A-Team Driving School". He regularly speaks at driver's education seminars, extolling the virtues of seat belts and safety first. His dream is to keep all the students he talks to from having an accident that will forever change their lives, as his accident did to him.
Phil and SAV-ON Insurance want to help not only teen drivers, but also their parents, understand and avoid the perils that can happen when a young person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle. One of the latest offers is a free GPS unit for your teen's car. If you are a teen driver, or the parent of one, please contact SAV-ON at 206-878-1404 and speak to Nichole, or go to www.sav-on.com for more information on this offer.
Phil has beaten the odds and is walking again. Now he wants to keep other young drivers from ever facing the living nightmare that he had to face years ago.
January 2, 1985 started out like most weekdays in Phil Devitte's life, with a commute down I-5 to his job in Des Moines. That morning it was very cold, but clear, and as Phil was nearing the South 188th Street exit he started moving over toward the exit lane. Suddenly he hit a patch of "black ice", and in a split second his car was spinning out of control. Phil, who was not wearing his seat belt, held tightly onto the steering wheel, hoping to regain control of the car. Instead, the car hit something that caused it to flip violently end-over-end through the air. Phil was ejected through his closed sunroof, and remembers tumbling through the air.
He recalls regaining consciousness while lying on the ground, and someone asking if he was OK. "Yeah, I'm OK," was his reply. But, when he tried to get up, he couldn't move his legs. In fact, he had no feeling whatsoever from the waist down! While someone called an ambulance, he laid there in disbelief. This couldn't be happening to HIM. This was something that happened to OTHER people. When he arrived at Valley General Hospital, they whisked him into the emergency room, took x-rays and ran a battery of tests. The results were shocking: Phil had broken his back and damaged his spinal cord, and the doctors told him he would never walk again.
One simple lane change and he faced the prospect of life in a wheelchair! Phil struggled to grasp the gravity of the situation as he lay in Valley General with a devastating injury. After a few days, he was wheeled into surgery and had rods and wires inserted in his damaged spine. A week later, as he was convalescing, Phil suffered a massive Pulmonary Embolism; a blood clot in his lung that caused him to lose consciousness. His heart stopped. Luckily, he was in the hospital, and the staff feverishly worked on him, trying to save his life. Fortunately, they succeeded. Phil remembers coming to with people in a frenzy all around him, and someone saying "Should we shock him again?" Seeing Phil coming out of it, the doctor stopped the procedure. Phil was alive again!
Phil spent more than three weeks in that hospital, and was determined to walk again, even though he was still paralyzed. To his dismay, his attending physician told him to stop hoping, that he was never going to walk again. He told Phil that he would be there to pick him up when he failed, and would help him back in his wheelchair. Late one night, alone in the hospital room with his thoughts, he wondered how he was going to achieve his goal of walking again when the doctors were telling him it couldn't happen. He wanted to die. Suddenly he heard a voice say to him, "Do you believe?" Phil answered "Yes, I do!" Phil felt a strength and determination he had never experienced before. Phil became more determined than ever.
The first step was firing his doctor, the one who had dashed his hopes. The second was transferring to the University of Washington Hospitals, one of the foremost spinal injury facilities in the country. Once at the UW, Phil was given a battery of tests to determine the extent of his injuries and the therapy he would require. One morning, the doctor came in and, as he always did, asked Phil to move his big toe. After a few seconds he said, "Now, move it again." Phil said incredulously, "What did you say?" He had moved his big toe! There was hope.
From that day, it would take 2 ½ years for Phil to learn to walk again without the aid of crutches. It was a slow, agonizing journey that was literally one step at a time. At one point, with the aid of arm crutches, Phil had struggled down the hall of the hospital, almost dragging his uncooperative feet with him. He turned around and looked back at where he'd been. "The pools of sweat were pools of success to me," recalls Phil. "I was focused on overcoming this with an intensity that became an obsession." Every day he would spend 8-10 hours working on his rehabilitation. There was no let-up.
After more than a year of this, he was able to walk without support, get his driver's license back and went back to work. He continued to feverishly work on his therapy, exercise constantly and attempt to get stronger. Then, in 1990, five years after his accident, he decided to ease up. He was walking again, although not without some stiffness (he told his kids he walked like the tin man from The Wizard of Oz), but realized that he had accomplished his goal of walking again, and now he wanted to work with organizations to counsel young people on the dangers of driving.
He was now a firm believer in seat belts, since the chances are he would be OK today if he had worn one that fateful morning. But, in addition to that, he wanted to educate them that it only takes one mistake while driving to forever change (or end) your life. He began working with an organization called "Think First", an outreach program that deals with the dangers of driving while on drugs or alcohol, driving without using seat belts, speeding and reckless driving, and other dangerous activities.In 1998, Phil moved to the Palm Springs area to open a "Think First" chapter there, and volunteered at a trauma center where he counseled victims of brain and spinal cord injuries. He was able to bring his message of hope to thousands of young drivers during that time.
In 2000, he came back to the Seattle area and returned to SAV-ON Insurance, determined to make a difference here, knowing that 39% of all accidents happen to drivers who have been driving 10 months or less! He has spoken to students at driving schools, and now SAV-ON Insurance is affiliated with the "A-Team Driving School". He regularly speaks at driver's education seminars, extolling the virtues of seat belts and safety first. His dream is to keep all the students he talks to from having an accident that will forever change their lives, as his accident did to him.
Phil and SAV-ON Insurance want to help not only teen drivers, but also their parents, understand and avoid the perils that can happen when a young person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle. One of the latest offers is a free GPS unit for your teen's car. If you are a teen driver, or the parent of one, please contact SAV-ON at 206-878-1404 and speak to Nichole, or go to www.sav-on.com for more information on this offer.
Phil has beaten the odds and is walking again. Now he wants to keep other young drivers from ever facing the living nightmare that he had to face years ago.
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