As a parent, having your teen out on the road is one of the most nerve-wracking things! You know that you can’t hold onto them forever, but it doesn’t make it easier when they start taking their first steps out of the nest. Fortunately, Chevy has teen driver technology that allows my kids to have the freedom they want without me having to feel like I’m just sending them off into the world.
I trust my child and know that they will make safe choices, by the truth of the matter is that drivers between the age of 16 and 19 have a driving fatality rate three times higher than drivers over the age of 20. So for this reason, Chevy’s Teen Driver Technology is actually saving lives out there.
Using the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze, which has the latest MyLink system that features the Teen Driver technology, as an example, let’s take a look at some of the features you can expect to keep your teen safe. The Teen Driver system is included at no extra cost on this particular model. The Cruze also has several additional safety features including forward collision, rear cross traffic, and lane change alerts as part of the “driver confidence package.” To set up Teen Driver features for your vehicle all you have to do is go into your MyLink settings and create a PIN code and key for your Teen Driver. This will create the limits for that particular driver. This way if you have more than one teen (God bless you) the settings will be individualized for each teen.
These settings allow you to limit the vehicle speed by setting a maximum volume limit. You can even create a speed warning for the driver at a specific speed between 40 and 75 mph to remind them to slow things down a bit. In addition to these custom settings, the system will mute the audio until all passengers have fastened their seatbelts and does not allow any safety features such as traction control or lane keep assist (on equipped models) to be disabled.
The only true speed limiting setting will not allow the driver to go over 85 mph, which hopefully isn’t an issue in the first place. The Chevrolet MyLink system also keeps track of driving habits and can create a driving “report card” for your teen so that you can keep tabs on how they are doing. All of the available technology could certainly help a younger driver be more aware on the road, and their own driving habits all while providing parents like myself the peace of mind they need.
Distracted driving isn’t something to take lightly. It can happen to anyone, which is why it is so important to reinforce good driving habits when your teen is still learning. Many may feel like a feature like Teen Driver removes any trust a parent may have for their child. But really, this isn’t a matter of not trusting your child. It’s a matter of having and using the tools to provide your teen with a safe driving experience and help them develop healthy driving skills as they go!
To check out the Chevy Cruze and Teen Driver Technology, or any other Chevy vehicle, stop by Harchelroad Motors of Imperial and Wauneta today. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have and get you a test drive so that you can see these incredible features at work for yourself!
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