Keeping a watchful eye

When 16-year-old Coty Harms began driving, his grandfather looked for a way to make him a safer driver.

“Speed is the thing for all 16-year-old boys. I was there, I know,” Ron Harms said. “He was driving my pickup at the time and I decided this is not the way we want to go.”

While at his insurance agent’s office debating insurance rates for teenage drivers, he found out about a free program offered through American Family Insurance.

The Teen Safe Driver Program uses cameras attached to the windshield facing out of the car and into the car to capture audiovisual data whenever a high-risk driving behavior happens for drivers 16-19 years old. Inertia changes such as sudden braking, accelerating or swerving activate the cameras which transmit 15 seconds of video before the incident and 15 seconds after. The video is uploaded wirelessly to a professional driving coach where it is analyzed.

“It’s always recording, but only keeps it if there is a G-force event,” said Peter Jacobus, a Fremont American Family Insurance agent. “They’re not being spied on if driving properly. This camera essentially puts the parent back in the car with them.”

He was quick to point out that anything recorded through the system does not raise insurance premiums.

Parents or grandparents can view the captured video and see a report card analyzing the events. There is also a weekly scorecard adding up all the points a driver receives from the driving coach for risky behaviors. The lower points received, the less of a risk the driver is.

“Anything that happens out there I can see,” Ron said. “We go through (the video clips) quite often. We sit down, review it and talk about what he did wrong. Usually he comes and tells me when he’s had an incident before I see it.”

While in the past, especially during the first few weeks of having the system installed, Coty scored in the high-risk driver range, that is no longer the case.

“The last two weeks he’s been running at zero,” Ron said. “If he’s out there doing something really dangerous, I want to know. I’ll ground him and take his keys.”

The cameras took a while to get used to, the teenager said.

“I didn’t like it at all,” Coty said. “He could see what I’m doing.”

When the camera proved he wasn’t at fault for an accident where a semi truck backed into his vehicle, Coty changed his mind about the equipment.

The system detects seatbelt

usage and even if the stereo is up too loud.

“I don’t go around corners as fast anymore,” Coty said.

He also said he wears his seatbelt now that the camera is in the car.

Jacobus said seatbelt usage is way up with the camera system and that most teenagers eventually warm up to it.

“One kid hated so much when he got it that he covered it up,” Jacobus said. “After a couple of weeks you get used to it. It takes the pressure off of them to do the right thing, especially when their friends are around.”

He said the program is free for the first year to American Family customers and is installed at a local body shop.

“If we can get them through their first year of driving, statistics show accidents go way down,” Jacobus said. “It’s amazing how many kids get their license and crash a few weeks later.”

Ron couldn’t stop praising the system and how it’s helped him and his grandson.

“I think it’s actually made a better driver out of him,” Ron said. “I think every teen out there should have it in their cars. I think it definitely saves lives.”