It’s no secret that automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for teen drivers. With today’s technology teens are spending more time with their online friends than with actual humans. Peering down at their phones to check the latest texts or see a funny post; they are more likely to speed, to veer and to become dangerously distracted.

Teens are also less likely to wear seat belts and take into consideration just how dangerous distracted driving can be. Like most parents we are always looking for the next best way to keep our kids safe, we have put together the top 10 driving apps that help keep your teen save behind the wheel!

1. The Automatic Smart Driving Assistant app which costs $79 and works hand in hand with the Automatic link accessory  for $99 silences all incoming texts, phone calls and even notifications! The App keep tabs on your teens driving behaviors and even has a call center they can cal linto if there is any problem when they are on the road!
2. Canary, which costs $14.99, can’t stop text messages or calls from going to your teen’s phone, but it does rat them out if they unlock their phone while driving! SWEET! It also alerts you when they speed, make calls or send/receive text messages. It even lets you know if they go outside any geofences you establish, and/or if they violate a curfew.
3. Cellcontrol with DriveID for $129 bypasses GPS and instead relies upon Bluetooth enabled technology. The app works with the DriveID module in order to integrate with your vehicle’s OBD port to determine motion, and implement your predetermined settings. Working whether there’s a cell signal or not. It knows who’s driving the car and what they are permitted to do. Cellcontrol goes beyond restricting cell phones; it also prevents distractions from other mobile devices, such as laptops and even tablets.
4. The Drivesafe.ly application for $13.95 single user/$34.95 family pack from iSpeech intercepts text messages and reads them aloud in real time so teens don’t have to handle their phone to get a text while driving. The application also automatically responds in real time for them with a built in auto-responder that is completely customizable, so they can have their response message say whatever they like.
5. The DriveScribe application makes the smartphone a safe driving coach. DriveScribe keeps track of where your teen drives the car, what routes they take, and rats them out when they violate traffic laws. Parents can use the application’s points system to incentivize smart driving habits. Further, it blocks incoming messages and calls when the car is in motion to minimize distractions.
6. RoadReady was developed to keep track of a teen’s progress during the learner’s permit phase of their driving career. According to its builders, the application provides an easy, efficient way to ensure teens have enough experience behind the wheel in a variety of conditions before they begin to drive independently. It tracks the road type and weather conditions of each drive, maps driven routes, and offers suggestions for safer driving. It also logs their driving time, in order to demonstrate satisfaction of the time behind the wheel requirement many states impose before licensing can legally take place.
7. The Safe Driver application from the Dangerous Decisions company takes advantage of the iPhone’s internal GPS locator systems and accelerometer to provide parents the instant capability to know when their teen driver exceeds whatever speed or acceleration set-points the parents want them to stay below. The application documents acceleration, braking, cornering and speed. When the pre-set parameters are exceeded, or a violation occurs, the program will automatically send the parent either a text message or an email message identifying the vehicle being used, the time the program started and stopped, the set point exceeded, the time of the infraction, and how long the set point was exceeded.
8. Offered for free to Sprint customers only, Drive First intercepts incoming phone calls and text messages and responds to the sender, or caller with a message informing them the party they are trying to reach is currently operating an automobile and shouldn’t be distracted. The Drive First app sends calls directly to voicemail and silences email and text alerts when a phone running it is in any vehicle whose speed reaches 10 mph. For those times when the phone’s user is merely a passenger, Exit and 911 emergency buttons on the home screen of a locked device allow users to override the app.
9. Steer Clear Mobile app is part of a comprehensive program designed to help young drivers reinforce positive driving behavior and stay aware of hazards on the road. Young drivers—under the age of 25, who complete the Steer Clear Safe Driver Discount Program, may be eligible for a lower premium on their State Farm auto insurance. The app makes it easy to log your driving experiences, including the amount of time spent driving, and road conditions. It offers tips on how to drive and what to look out for in a variety of weather conditions. It also features videos to allow teen drivers to see and hear about other drivers’ experiences.
10. The TextLimit application for $24.99 annually per phone, you gain complete control over the features of your teen’s phone when it is moving. You pre-determine at what speed you want the features to become disabled. Once the phone falls below your selected speed, the features become active again. Even better, you can also set it up so all of your calls and text messages get through unimpeded regardless of the situation—whether they’re moving or not. Text Limit also offers the capability to geo-locate your teen’s phone on a map so you always know where they are. You can also select a specific geographical area within which you want to limit the phone’s features, and receive speeding alerts or other watchdog info.

Talk to your teen about the dangers of distracted driving and ways that they can keep themselves and their friends safe.