The trucking
and airline industry have known about them for years. Now, a company
is marketing a "black box" recorder for parents to install
in their teenager's cars.
The on-board
computer system is likened to a flight data recorder used in commercial
aircraft. It monitors the driver's performance on a second-by-second
basis.
If the young
driver gets a lead foot, the box gives an audio warning to slow
down. If they drive aggressively (hard cornering, hard braking,
pedal-to-the-medal starts, etc.) it gives a warning to back off.
If the driver thinks they're too cool to wear a safety belt, a
continuous warning tone is activated.
If the ornery
driver ignores the warning, the sound turns into a steady loud tone
that won't go away until the driver stops the unsafe behavior. The
results are graded against a performance standard and reported back
to the parents on a handy memory card that plugs into a computer
to display the reports and graphs. The boxes are being pedaled for
about $280.
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