If you want to be a safer driver, I have one word for you: TIWI. The TIWI is a new driver-tracking device about the size of a GPS unit. It’s designed to be attached to the windshield, and plugged into your car’s dashboard electric port. Once installed, The TIWI will log all driver movements electronically, and triangulate a car’s location using signals from nearby cell towers. Then, if a driver does anything dangerous, or illegal, the device will sound an alert inside the car, and a computer-synthesized voice will say what you’ve done wrong – whether it’s speeding. making an illegal U-turn or braking too hard. Meanwhile, the device will also upload all this information to a secure Website, which can be accessed from any computer. It’s that last feature which has made TIWI a hit with parents! Why? Because if a teen borrows the car, parents can view a Google-style map, showing exactly where their teen’s driving. The TIWI site also provides customizable “report cards,” which will grade teens on their driving habits, and show if those habits get better or worse over time. Parents can even ask to receive an email, or text message, every time an alert is triggered inside the car.

The good news is that in early tests, the TIWI appears to make teens better drivers. In fact, one recent study showed that when teens had the TIWI installed, they were 90% more likely to wear a seatbelt, and half as likely to speed. Also, some teens improved their driving habits faster with a TIWI installed than they did with a parent sitting beside them in the car! For now, the TIWI costs between $300 and $600, plus an additional monthly service charge. Some insurance companies are already offering a discount if you have the device installed. Want to go further? Check out this Website: TIWI.com.