In-car cameras and black box technology that records young drivers could cut crash rates if the information is shared with parents, according to new research.
In a report – Keeping Young Drivers Safe During Early Licensure – commissioned by the RAC Foundation, it is suggested that the combined use of dash cams and “accelerometers” – which record the high G-forces created when a car is driven erratically or dangerously – reduces bad driving if young people know the information will be shared with their mum and dad.
“If new young drivers believe that what they do at the wheel will get back to their parents they are likely to moderate their behaviour for fear of losing their newly found freedom and privileges,” said Dr Bruce Simons-Morton in the report.
A quarter (25 percent) of people killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads between 2013 and 2015 were in collisions that involved a younger driver (17-24 years old) even though this group accounted for only seven percent of full driving licence holders.
“This report doesn’t suggest that dash cam footage replaces Strictly or The Voice as regular Saturday night family viewing, but it does argue that greater parental appreciation of what their children get up behind the wheel can be beneficial,” said Steve Gooding, Director of the RAC Foundation.
“Every parent of a young driver wants their child to drive safely without having to be in the car themselves, but through ‘black box’ telematics and dash cam technology virtual supervision can have a big impact.”
