Tiwi: Guaranteed to Make Your Kids Hate You
Monday, 09 August 2004 22:30
Remember when you first got your driver's license and hit the open road, rolled the windows down, and basked in the afterglow of your newfound freedom? Well, if tiwi gets its way, those days are over.
Inthinc's "tiwi Drive Aware" is an in-car Sat Nav device that delivers real-time data on your kid's driving behavior. Parents can lookup the vehicle's location, speed, seat-belt status, and receive wireless email or SMS alerts for aggressive turning, speeding, hard braking, rapid acceleration, and up to 30 other safety-related items.
Tiwi also supports geofencing, a feature that lets parents configure virtual fences around neighborhoods or streets, and receive alerts if the vehicle enters or exits a specific area.
Tiwi also has built-in cell phone capabilities, letting parents call the device directly. Drivers can use the 24x7 e-call emergency assistance feature to call for emergency help at the push of a button.
In other words, it's pretty much like having your parents in the car with you at all times. Sure, the kids may not like it, but parents will likely rest easier knowing they've got an informant riding shotgun. And let's be honest here: most teen drivers aren't exactly the safest motorists on the road. In fact, of the 10,000 new teen drivers that hit the streets every day, most have less than 50 hours of experience behind the wheel, and a teen driver is injured every 55 seconds in the U.S.
Tiwi is made by Inthinc, a leading provider of commercial vehicle tracking and dispatch systems. The device costs $459 plus a $35.99 monthly service fee. Some insurance companies will offer better rates if tiwi is installed. .