As a parent, your child’s safety is your top priority. In South Africa, where crime and challenging driving conditions are common, leveraging technology and community resources can significantly enhance your efforts to protect your children. Here’s how you can use various tools and applications to support family safety in everyday scenarios, such as driving to school or university and returning from late-night social events.
Empowering Independence with Safety: Young people’s independence often relies on their mobility. While driving or being driven offers freedom, it’s crucial to consider and mitigate the risks on South Africa’s roads. Subscribing to a service that monitors your child’s vehicle location and supports safety away from home can greatly reduce their exposure to mobility risks.
Vehicle Location Tracking: This feature allows you to monitor your child’s whereabouts. Combined with a Zones Management feature, you can receive alerts when your child’s vehicle enters or leaves designated unsafe or safe zones. This enables quick check-ins to ensure their safety or activate emergency protocols if needed.
Minimising Distractions: The Road Accident Fund highlights the high risk of youth driving due to distractions. Services that silence incoming calls and messages while driving can help young drivers stay focused. Parents can receive alerts if these services are deactivated, ensuring consistent use. Detailed reports on driving behaviour, including speed and harsh braking, encourage safer driving habits and alert parents to potential dangers.
Emergency Assistance: In life-threatening situations, technology can speak for vehicle occupants when they cannot. Impact detection can immediately dispatch emergency and towing services to an accident scene, ensuring life-saving medical assistance is provided even if the driver or passengers are unconscious or injured. Additionally, roadside and medical assistance services can help if your loved ones are stranded due to vehicle issues.
Ridesharing and E-Hailing Safety: Many young people use ridesharing or e-hailing services. In-app features like location and trip sharing with family members can provide peace of mind for late-night commutes. Empowering young individuals with a rapid armed response service, activated by a panic button in a mobile app, ensures they receive emergency assistance quickly.
“Beyond technology, maintaining open communication with your children about safer driving practices and personal safety protocols is crucial,” says Duma Ngcobo, Chief Operating Officer at Tracker. “Encourage them to be aware of their surroundings, trust their instincts, and effectively use available technology to enhance their safety.”
