If we accept, for the sake of argument, that use of this device could reduce the rate of traffic accidents, then why should it be used only between parents and their children? After all, we made speed limits an enforceable legal requirement -- so if children are responsible to their parents, why shouldn't their parents be responsible to the civil authorities (and thereby their fellow citizens) in the same way? Why not rig the device to report your position and speed to law-enforcement officers, so they can question you or send you a ticket? Why not put them in every car, and require each driver to "log in" before going someplace?
I think it's a terrible idea, and I would not use such a device with my own children. People of all ages will take risks and sometimes have accidents, but that is part of the responsibility we must each take for ourselves. If I didn't believe my children would drive responsibly, I wouldn't permit them to use my car. But "safe and responsible driving" is more than just obeying the speed limit and staying in your lane -- it also requires awareness of your surroundings, and attention to the other drivers on the road. Every day I encounter adults on the road who, by that standard, ought to have their licenses revoked. I don't believe that we can make anybody a better driver by giving them an electronic Jiminy Cricket...it's just another distraction to make the driver to pay more attention to the dashboard than to the road.
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If we accept, for the sake of argument, that use of this device could reduce the rate of traffic accidents, then why should it be used only between parents and their children? After all, we made speed limits an enforceable legal requirement -- so if children are responsible to their parents, why shouldn't their parents be responsible to the civil authorities (and thereby their fellow citizens) in the same way? Why not rig the device to report your position and speed to law-enforcement officers, so they can question you or send you a ticket? Why not put them in every car, and require each driver to "log in" before going someplace?
I think it's a terrible idea, and I would not use such a device with my own children. People of all ages will take risks and sometimes have accidents, but that is part of the responsibility we must each take for ourselves. If I didn't believe my children would drive responsibly, I wouldn't permit them to use my car. But "safe and responsible driving" is more than just obeying the speed limit and staying in your lane -- it also requires awareness of your surroundings, and attention to the other drivers on the road. Every day I encounter adults on the road who, by that standard, ought to have their licenses revoked. I don't believe that we can make anybody a better driver by giving them an electronic Jiminy Cricket...it's just another distraction to make the driver to pay more attention to the dashboard than to the road.