Safer Teen Driving Goal of New KidDrive Service; High-Tech Meets Grassroots with Initiative to Boost Teen Safety on the Road

September 23, 2002

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. As more states consider graduated drivers licensing, curfews and other strategies to reduce teen driving fatalities, parents and communities are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to monitoring their kids' behavior on the road. Now there is a budget-priced solution for concerned parents that combines high-tech telecommunications with a community network of watchful eyes. KidDrive was created by Jim Buckner of Crossville, Tennessee. His business is based on the notion that a nation of vigilant adults could -- with the aid of technology -- help keep teens and those they share the road with safer.

Buckner's novel, simple idea marries community-wide awareness with state- of-the-art telecommunications technology to let parents know within minutes when their teen's driving becomes dangerous. www.kiddrive.com

Previous bumper sticker monitoring programs have failed to generate critical mass because they relied on call centers or voicemail, neither of which have effectively delivered timely or accurate information to parents. "KidDrive's approach is succeeding because parents get instant, accurate feedback on reports processed by the automated system," says Buckner.

Here's How It Works:

* Parents visit http://www.kiddrive.com or call (1-866-KIDDRIVE) to enroll their teen in KidDrive. The annual fee is $79.95. ("Black box" systems cost between $400 and $2,000.)

* Parents put a reflective, high-visibility bumper sticker on their teen's car. Each sticker has a unique, three-character code.

* Anyone witnessing the teen driving dangerously calls 1-866-KIDDRIVE to make a simple, anonymous report.

* The witness gives their report to a voice recognition system that automatically phones the parent and relays the report. Most notifications reach the parent within minutes of the report being made.

Inspiration at the Intersection

"They never even saw the red light," recalls Buckner. Four teenage girls, busy laughing and enjoying life, did not see the red light where he was stopped. They flew through the light, and while fate smiled on those teens on that particular evening, the experience was a catalyst that drove Buckner to create KidDrive.

KidDrive offers immediate notification for driving reports and emergencies. Its mission is to increase awareness of beginning drivers and to provide a user-friendly method for observers to submit a report when necessary. Interested parents should call 1-866-KIDDRIVE or visit http://www.kiddrive.com to enroll.