HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Seat belts and rear view mirrors; for many parents of teenagers, learning to drive goes beyond the basics.
“I’m so concerned about the texting," said Charlene Smith.
Charles Henry said that he has had several talks with his granddaughter about safety on the road.
“Number one, pay attention to what you are doing out there,” Henry said.
This past week, Channel 2 has reported on numerous fatal crashes involving young adults.
The Mills family said that they know the grief all too well and are trying to battle it with activism. Their daughter, Kaiilee Mills, was killed in a car accident nearly one year ago. The young woman was ejected from the car in an accident after briefly taking off her seat belt to take a picture.
“When it happens to you, it isn’t just a statistic, this is a person," said Kailee's father.
The Buckle Up For Kailee Foundation puts an emphasis on safe habits behind the wheel. Several parents said that they will use that instruction but will also monitor their kids' driving habits.
“Parents really need to be aware of this kind of thing and they do need to track their kids," said Charlene Smith.
Smith said that her family uses apps to monitor teen drivers. Channel 2 found several popular apps including True Motion and Safe Drive that monitor speed and driving habits.
The Mama Bear app can be set up to issue a notification if a teenager is speeding or texting while driving.
