Suppose you have signed up for insurance with the American Family program or have heard from somewhere about the KnowYourDrive app. But if you don’t know what exactly it is, how it works, and what’s the alternative to keeping a watch on your kid’s driving, then you are at the right spot.
What can the KnowYourDrive app do?
“KnowYourDrive is an app that keeps a constant watch on your driving. This app was introduced by an insurance company called American Family Program to keep a watch on their customers.”
KnowYourDrive app review will be done in this section by reviewing all the essential features that this app offers to you:
i) Real-time location tracking
KnowYourDrive app uses your phone’s GPS and internet to pinpoint the driver’s location and record a history of every trip route taken every day. This may be best if you are observing a teen, but most adults don’t like it as it interferes with their personal life history.
ii) Harsh braking notifications
Suppose you are in a hurry and using your brakes too often and forcefully. In that case, this app analyses your speed and driving circumstances in real time. It also notifies you about unusual driving conditions in a detailed report that you can see daily to improve your driving.
iii) Driving behavior monitoring
This app records everything about your driving, like trip routes, time, number of drivers per day, and underspending/overspeeding, which ultimately helps judge your driving behavior. If your driving behavior is good, it can help customers get a discount. When it detects and records your destructive driving activities, it can be used against you during accidental claims.
iv) Driving scores & reports
This app makes a report and gives scores that cover everything, like acceleration, hard brakes, etc., on chart data with readings that show whether it is in green or red.
v) Rewards for safe driving
When a driver follows the rules regularly and effectively, this app has designed a way to provide scores that can get responsible drivers up to a 20% discount on their insurance fees. This helps motivate drivers to do much better regarding road safety and drive in safer circumstances, decreasing the chances of accidents to 0.
How does the KnowYourDrive app work?
It is worth noting that this app was developed with American Family Program insurance customers in mind. So, it is one of the most accessible apps, but only limited to certain people.
It collects your location data via cellular and internet networks using your phone’s GPS and sensors. For this app to work normally and accurately, there must be a network connection, location access must be allowed at all times, and don’t forget to update your phone to the latest version.
You can set up the KnowYourDrive app by using the following procedure:
Step 1. Go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and download the KnowYourDrive app.
Step 2. Launch the app, add your number, enter the verification code you received, and complete other personal information settings.
Step 3. Agree to all terms & conditions> then give the following permissions:
- Go to Settings > Apps > find “KnowYourDrive” app > Permissions > Location and then select “Allow all the time.”
- You can give Activity, Notification, Call, and other permissions right from the app.
Is the KnowYourDrive app worth it?
Pros
+ It is free to use.
+ Keep data on near-accident hard brakes.
+ Know the driver is overspeeding in public areas.
+ Help record your daily trips with a street map view.
+ Get a discount on an insurance policy for safe driving.
+ Keep data on how many phone calls you made/received while driving, which helps you in case you are in an accident.
Cons
– You need to buy an American Family insurance policy to use this app.
– The app is only available for US Americans.
– They record your careless driving and use it against the driver in case of accidents to avoid claims.
– It is not online, which means you can’t watch the driver (your kid) while sitting at home from your phone.
– It doesn’t have an SOS, which can be sent to the guardian in case of an accident.
– Not everybody qualifies as a safe driver and gets discounts.
5 Other popular apps that ensure teen drivers safe
In 2021, about 2116 young drivers between the ages of 15-20 died in car crashes in the US alone. According to a general report, most accident happens due to three major mistakes:
- Lack of scanning (unable to detect problems)
- Distractions
- Speeding
Well, there will come a time when you have to teach your kid to drive and send them alone on trips. But it’s also a fact that they will drink, use mobile devices, and talk to friends while driving, which will probably end in an accident. So, it’s essential to find a way to monitor your teen drivers, and one of the great ways is through parental control apps.
These apps track their location, trip routes, braking, speeding, mobile use habits, and much more. Plus, these apps send all the data to the parent’s phone in real time anywhere in the world. So, parents can take action if something is out of the ordinary and save their kid’s life.
Following is a list of apps with brief descriptions about how they play their parts in safe teen driving:
i) Life360
Compatibility: iOS & Android
“Life360 is one of the best driving safety and family location-sharing apps you can find in the market.”
When it comes to location sharing, it tracks the position every few seconds and keeps track of all route history. It sends smart notifications to parents as Maxwell arrives at school, Sara leaves the gym, etc. Moreover, for driving, it monitors the speed, routes, hard braking, phone usage, and more that parents need to know about their teens.
Life360 shares all the data with the parents 24/7 on their mobile phones. But for the premium feature, you need to buy a subscription for $14.99/month.
ii) SAFE 2 SAVE
Compatibility: iOS & Android
“SAFE 2 SAVE is the most basic driving safety app, with only 1 feature, that is not to use a phone while driving.”
This app was developed by Marci Corry in 2016 after getting sad about a college student accident due to the driver being distracted on his mobile. So, to keep teens away from mobile phones, they introduced a reward point system, in which a driver gets 2 points for every minute of a safe drive. Then, when enough points are collected, they can be exchanged for food items at famous chains like McDonald’s, DQ, etc.
It is worth noting that it doesn’t offer other features like location tracking, history, or data sharing with parents.
iii) OnMyWay
Compatibility: iOS & Android
“This app works just like SAFE 2 SAVE, but it is more effective because it disables mobile function during driving and you can’t use it even if you want.”
After installing this app, whenever you go over 10 mph, you can’t make a call or listen to music via mobile. It still allows your phone to connect to car Bluetooth (no holding the mobile in hand). Plus, all other third-party apps get disabled except maps and music stations (they will only work if you open them before driving).
It also has a reward system where a user gets $0.5 for every mile, which can be exchanged for food items, travel, tickets, etc. Lastly, passengers can earn money using this app. One of its disadvantages is that the location isn’t shared with the parents.
iv) Teen Time
Compatibility: For Android
“Teen Time is a parental control app which you can also use for driving safety of your kids.”
This parental control app can do a lot for you, such as an app blocker, screen time limiter, live monitoring, and more, but the functions we need are location sharing and geofencing.
With the help of Geolocation, you can trace your kid’s location 24/7 so you know where he/she is going. With Geofencing, you can set boundaries around certain places, like schools, homes, parks, etc., so you will be notified if they leave that place.
This app isn’t about speed, hard braking, or other driving behavior, but it’s better than other driving apps, which don’t even share location with parents’ phones in real-time.
v) FlashGet Kids
Compatibility: iOS & Android
FlashGet Kids is the one-in-all solution for all your worries about the kids driving and mobile harm.
First, the live location tracking and geofence features, including driving routes, help you find out where your kid is. All the history is saved with time and date, so you know where and when your kid visited a place. Second, with the live-monitoring function, you can mirror a kid’s phone screen on yours and check whether they are using a mobile while driving or not.
One more powerful feature is remote access to the camera, which enables you to see through your kids’ phone camera and know if they are distracted somewhere, wearing a seatbelt, or anything else.
Besides, FlashGet Kids offers parents additional remote features, like app usage reports, blocking, and screen time limits. You can see which apps your kids are using and for how long, so you can block or limit unnecessary ones.
Conclusion
Teenagers are hot-blooded and don’t think much at that age. If you give a teen a car, then yes, mistakes will be made, which may result in injury. So, to save their teen kids from such demise, parents must use driving safety apps, preferably with parental controls like FlashGet Kids. Considering various aspects, including compatibility, practicality, and affordability, it is the ideal solution for most families. These apps can enable you to track location, see and listen to kids’ phones, and limit or even block addictive apps.
