I must say, I appluad this idea!!! Too many new drivers are so sidetracked by text messaging, phone calls and the like…and the knowledge that their parents can now see this may keep this down!!

American Family Insurance has reportedly collaborated with California-based technology company DriveCam to offer this new technology. It’s a two-way camera placed on the rear-view mirror, and it tapes both the footage of the driver and the view of the road, as well as audio. It’s optional…but it can absolutely help parents to watch their new drivers. Its main purpose is that in case of an accident, there’s footage that can be sent to the insurance company to help verify the exact events that transpired.

As expected, many young drivers are lashing out at the idea of a camera in their vehicle, claiming that it’s intrusive.

@MarisaMendez

But Phil Reed, senior consumer advice editor at car website Edmunds.com says this to them:

“There’s that Big Brother sort of stereotype associated with this system. But once teenagers know that the only way their parents are going to see any of the video is when they do something erratic in the car, then they become more open to using this. In fact, it could be considered less intrusive than some GPS devices that other insurers are experimenting with for teenage drivers.”