- Driving mode for teens gets first update
- Standard (or available) on 12 models
- Buckle to Drive feature added
Chevrolet Teen Driver technology has been with us since the end of 2015, when it arrived as standard equipment on the 2016 Chevy Malibu Premier. While many of us have a general understanding that this program is designed to make teens safer drivers, how many of us know exactly what Teen Driver is or does?
Not enough of us, we’d say, because Teen Driver is becoming increasingly common in Chevrolet’s lineup. In fact, Teen Driver now is standard (or available) in 12 Chevrolet models that range from the Cruze and Bolt EV to the Traverse and Silverado HD pickup. So, let’s take a refresher look at this safety-enhancing technology and see how Chevrolet has updated it for model year 2020.
But first, a little about why Teen Driver is needed. Chevrolet cites three compelling reasons: 1) Car crashes are the number one cause of death among U.S. teenagers. 2) The fatal crash rate per mile driven for teenagers 16 to 19 years old is nearly three times that of drivers ages 20 and over. 3) And of the 40,000 car-crash fatalities in the U.S. in 2017, nearly half of those deaths (47 percent) involved unbelted occupants.
“We saw an opportunity with Teen Driver to increase seatbelt use,” says Tricia Morrow, Chevy’s lead global safety engineer. “Safety is paramount. It’s at the center of everything we do. We always ask ourselves what we can do to prevent injuries and fatalities.”
What is Teen Driver?
In simplest terms, Teen Driver is a system providing parents with a tool that encourages safe driving habits for their kids who are just learning to drive. As a way of minimizing distractions, Teen Driver, for example, will mute the radio (or any audio device paired with the car) whenever the front seat occupants are not wearing their seatbelts. Also, the car will make audible and visual warnings whenever the Chevrolet is traveling faster than a speed preset by the parent.
Moreover, Teen Driver keeps tabs on the distance the vehicle has driven, the maximum speed it has traveled, and the number of times it has tailgated another car or exceeded the speed limit. Teen Driver also records any stability control or ABS events, plus how often the Forward Collision Alert has gone off and how many Forward Collision Braking events have occurred.
To further minimize driver distractions, parents can set the max audio volume inside to a lower level, and for added safety they also can choose to limit the maximum speed of the vehicle to 85 mph. If the Chevrolet has Forward Collision Alert, it automatically turns on when Teen Driver is active.
Report Cards
Best of all (for parents, perhaps), the Teen Driver data is recorded on a PIN-protected “report card” that Mom or Dad can call up and read, using the car’s display screen.
“It’s a system that gives parents a little peace of mind,” explains Morrow, whose daughter is a beginning driver. “Teen Driver helps prevent crashes. Once my daughter comes back (from a drive in the car), I can look at her report card. I can see what she did wrong. On the other hand, she can point out to me what she did right.”
What’s new for Teen Driver in 2020?
Teen Driver is standard in the new 2020 Chevy Traverse, Malibu and Colorado models, and it has a new feature called Buckle to Drive. It prevents the driver from shifting the vehicle out of Park and into Drive if the driver’s seatbelt has not been buckled.
The main impetus here, says Chevy, is National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data that says buckling your seatbelt is the number one action drivers can take to protect themselves in a crash. And sadly, teenagers have among the lowest rates of seatbelt use.
“Buckle to Drive encourages young drivers to develop safe driving habits right from the start,” adds Morrow. “It’s embedded in Chevrolet’s Teen Driver system and is aimed at helping remind teens to buckle up every time they get behind the wheel.”
Buckle to Drive functions only when the Traverse, Malibu or Colorado is in Teen Driver mode. If the vehicle is running and the driver’s seatbelt is not buckled, it will not allow the driver to shift out of Park for up to 20 seconds. As soon as the brake pedal is pressed, the driver will hear an audible alert and see a message in the driver information center that reads: “Buckle seatbelt to shift.”
How to use Teen Driver
To use Teen Driver mode, parents needs to create a PIN via the vehicle’s Settings menu, which will then allow them to register their teen’s key fob. Teen Driver functions only when a registered key fob is used to start the vehicle.
“I come to work every day with my children in mind because there is nothing more important than their safety,” says Morrow. “My hope is that Buckle to Drive will help guide more young drivers to wear their seatbelts and encourage positive conversations among teens, their peers and parents.”
