Showcased Software to Stop Texting and Driving
As a parent of a teenage driver one of the best things you can do to stop your teen from making risky decisions is to stop texting while driving. While CarefulTeenDriver.com can help to prevent the unsafe driving practices of your teen, we cannot directly prevent texting while driving. These solutions; however, both free and commercial, can prevent texting while driving through a simple software upgrade to your smartphone.
DISCLAIMER-We don't guarantee nor warrant nor do we personally recommend any of this software. All information is provided for your personal use and for educational purposes and does not constitute any guarantee of safety, functionality, or quality.
How Does this Software Work?
The software uses the GPS built-into a number of cell phones to measure the speed of your teen's vehicle. With the measurement of the vehicle the software will temporarily disable the ability to send a text or Email message (this functionality depends on the software chosen) until the speed of the vehicle drops below a threshold or the vehicle stops. If your teen is a passenger in a vehicle some of the software allows a long code to be entered, too complex to enter while driving, to allow texting functionality. In some of this software you, the parent, can even configure at what speed texting while driving is disabled so that a slow crawl of 5 mile per hour stop and go traffic still allows texting. As you can see, there are plenty of options, including limitations on which phones are supported. Do your homework as a parent and you can be rewarded with the assurance your teen can not text and drive.
Why we Highlight This Software
Software like these products working with our service can stop unsafe teen driving. Why? This software helps to prevent unsafe practices for teens and adults and encouraging good habits become practice. Think about seat belt usage for a moment-once it becomes a normal habit your teen uses them without thinking to help protect themselves. We hope that this software encourages the same safe driving habits and stops texting while driving so that being used to a lack of texting while driving leads to good habits in the future.
Subscription vs. One-Time Buy
Many of these solutions require a monthly fee in order to continue operating while a few provide a one-time purchase price. How long you plan on maintaining your teen's cell phone bill and the model of your teen's phone will both influence your decision. In addition, how intrusive you want the software to be can typically be controlled as well.
Now Onto the Software to Stop Texting While Driving
Software Name Textecution
Website/URL Textecution or FAQs Here
Price $29.99 One-Time
Phones Supported (Summary) -Android Phones
Unique Features
1) Textecution-is unique in that the solution is a one-time purchase and solves the need of stopping texting while driving. If you need a simple solution like our service then Textecution is a great solution. It lacks some of the features of the other products listed below but effectively stops texting while driving anytime the driver exceeds 10 mph while also allowing notification to the parent or administrator. Simple, effective, and affordable as long as you have a supported phone.
Software Name iZup
Price $4.95/month or $49.95/yr (Family plans and a Blackberry Special Price available on their website)
Phones Supported (Summary) -Blackberry and Android Phones
Unique Features
2) iZup-Provides a monthly monitoring service that we chose a close second due to their complete blocking of distractions and greater phone support. This solution coupled with our service will help to alleviate unsafe driving and keep your teen focused. iZup works via GPS monitoring and kicks in once a speed threshold is crossed, and it's intelligent enough to be time delayed at stop lights or signs. It's an effective solution for stopping distracted driving and it comes at a competitive price. We like it as it's a bit purist and blocks all potential distractions from your teen.
Software Name ZoomSafer
Website/URL ZoomSafer (TeenSafer) or FAQs Here
Price $2.99/month or $29.95/yr
Phones Supported (Summary) -Blackberry (Android Coming End of 2010)
Unique Features
3) ZoomSafer's TeenSafer-Provides allot of flexibility to the parent that wants to choose exactly what your teen has access to while driving. For the more lenient parent you can allow calls while blocking text messages or block everything for distraction free driving. The flexibility of these services with the affordable price warrants a good rating; however, the (currently) limited models of phone support make the potential audience of teens much smaller.
Software Name TxtBlocker
Website/URL TxtBlocker or FAQs Here
Price $24.99/1st month, $9.95 monthly after or $99.95/yr one-time
Phones Supported (Summary) -Blackberry and Windows Mobile (Android and iPhone Coming)
Unique Features
4) TxtBlocker-Txtblocker does just what it says, blocks text messages until you reach a safe driving speed. While the pricing is not the cheapest, and the phone support limited, the one added feature we find compelling of Txtblocker is that you can define a geographic 'no-texting' zone like school, friends, or home. In short, Txtblocker puts parents in control of texting and phone use to a higher degree than competitive products but at a higher cost.
iPhone Support-
As you can see a number of these apps are Blackberry and Android centric in their support. We didn't forget about you iPhone users and parents out there. One product of mention is iBlacklist (google it) which has limited parental controls. It's $12 USD and while it's not designed specifically for parental controls it does have some of this functionality. The major reason we place this comment in a limited fashion is that it requires jailbraking your iPhone and it's not formally supported by Apple or AT&T.
Best Together-
These solutions will stop texting while driving but what about any other unsafe driving by your teem or young driver? Speed, risky driving moves, drinking and driving-these events would never have a notification with anti-texting software alone. So we recommend our service to work in conjunction with these tools for the best protection. Compare the prices and you'll see that our solution is affordable and with some of the software listed you'll see that they're best together.