Cameras in cars help to assess teen drivers
A pilot traffic-safety program that allows parents of young drivers to be a "fly on the wall" through an on-board camera that records potentially risky behavior is drawing little interest from Montgomery County families willing to take advantage of the opportunity.
"It's been tough," said Christina Sinz of the Washington Metro Region Highway Safety Office, which has only two sign-ups for the DriveCam for Families program. "We're not exactly sure why. Of course the kids aren't gung-ho about it — they think it's a camera to spy on them – but we're not sure why the parents aren't buying in."
The program kicked off almost a year ago in Southern Maryland but not all of the 300 available cameras were claimed.
"Montgomery and Baltimore counties have higher young driver crashes," Sinz said, "so they expanded to include those counties in March."
Sinz has since spoken at high school PTA meetings, including one in Damascus, and distributed fliers with little success in finding homes for her 20 remaining cameras.
Program participants are asked to commit to a yearlong study. Drivers ages 16-20 are eligible to participate, but the window is actually much smaller because the driver needs to be in the home with the parent.
Debbie Jennings, Calvert County Community Traffic Safety program coordinator, has about 100 participants in the program, including her own 16-year-old daughter. Researchers have already collected, rated and grouped 11,000 to 12,000 "events" statewide, she said.
"Most [parents] tend to be somewhat surprised by what they see going on in their teens' cars," she said. Common infractions include unbuckled or extra passengers and late braking.
"I'm also hearing from parents that this was exactly what they needed," Jennings said. "That even if nothing is happening in the car, they have peace of mind."
Sinz said while the benefits for the parents are obvious, she believes the major reluctance is on the side of teens.
"The kids have to buy into the program for the study to work," she said.
Jennings downplayed such concerns. She said once young drivers understood that the videos were not viewed by law enforcement, insurance agents, school officials or other potential threats, "they're OK, they really are … I don't really hear any ‘Big Brother' stuff."
Learning from their mistakes
It took three tries and the offer of some parental gas fill-ups to convince Jeremy Ehrlich, a rising senior at Col. Zadok Magruder High School in Derwood, to participate in the program.
"I was afraid [what] my friends' reactions would be to it," he said. "I thought they might be freaked out about it and wouldn't want to drive with me."
His mother, Lisa Ehrlich of Olney, said Jeremy has received one ticket so far and drives about 10 miles a week to school, work and friends' homes.
"I thought it was really cool that I could give him feedback on his driving," she said. "I'm just scared for him because he's a new driver and I thought every little bit helps."
The three tanks of gas she ended up proffering as an incentive to participate was a small price to pay, Lisa Ehrlich said. The two also hope the volunteer program will be useful on a college application.
Jim Williamson of Clarksburg said his own checkered past as a young driver inspired his interest in the program. He had three crashes in his first year behind the wheel, he said.
Then he heard of the fatal crash involving five area youths in October.
"I can't fathom for the parents involved having that experience," he said.
Williamson heard about the DriveCam program on the radio and was immediately interested. Luckily, 17-year-old Mateo, a rising senior at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, was cooperative.
"Honestly, it's not a big deal to me as far as Big Brother," Mateo Williamson said. "The big picture is it's meant to benefit more people than me ... Hopefully, I can learn from [my father's] mistakes and hopefully with this other people can learn from my mistakes."
"I think in this area learning to drive there's a lot more to retain and learn than, say, learning to drive in the Midwest," the elder Williamson said, referring to Beltway traffic and other challenges. "It's not a matter of if [Mateo] is responsible or not; it's just whenever you start something new there's learning involved."
The camera will be installed on a car used by both Williamsons and the two plan an unofficial contest on who will trip the camera most often.
Jennings said "events" by drivers other than the participating teen are also available online and can make a teen feel less targeted.
"I used my events to kind of take the stress out of [my daughter's] enrollment," she said, "that I wasn't a perfect driver and this was something we all need to work on ... She took great pleasure when I got caught."
Jeremy Ehrlich said he was surprised by how unobtrusive the camera was once installed. His friends didn't notice it until it was pointed out, he said.
Ehrlich said he expected to change his driving "just a little bit" once the camera was fully operational. He would speed less, he said, although he expected to still answer his cell phone.
Ehrlich said he hopes the move eases his parents' concerns.
"My mom, when we talk about it, has this little smirk on her face because she's excited to be able to keep an eye on things," he said.
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