I recently read an article in the Victorville Daily Press that caused quite a few comments. I was surprised at how vehement people feel about privacy vs. safety. My daughter was killed in an accident exactly 23 years ago the day this article appeared. There is no way I can tell you the pain and emptiness that comes from failing as a parent to have protected your child’s very existence, and I truly hope none of you ever have to experience that. The goal of the camera is not spying at all; I also happen to find that intrusive and over-reaching. The goal is prevention. All behavior is patterned and repeatable and if you see your driver doing something that invades 12 seconds of their privacy but is a teachable moment to break a bad habit that will someday kill them, then the tradeoff is a no-brainer.

I read, with interest, some recent postings on Clark Howard’s website titled, “Auto Insurers Happy to Cover Teenagers – with Caveats.”

As the CEO of DriveCam and the father of six children (one of whom died in an accident, though not an auto accident), I have personally experienced the tragedy of losing a child. I will tell you that you don’t want to watch your child killed in an auto accident, you want to prevent them from being killed. Clark – and his family – are very lucky that his daughter did not lose her life in her two collisions. I’d like to answer some questions concerning DriveCam that have been posted to the site. Some insurance companies (like American Family Insurance) are giving this technology to parents free of charge, so they have the opportunity to coach their teen before the crash occurs. And, parents only see what their teen does when something abrupt or risky with the vehicle occurs. When this happens, the teen loses 12 seconds of privacy in their life, which become the teachable moment to correct potentially lethal habit patterns before it becomes too late. What’s 12 seconds of knowing compared to a lifetime of grieving? Perhaps Clark’s 19 year old daughter may have avoided the two collisions (and totaling the car) if she had had the opportunity to be coached before they happened.