Finally, a way for parents of teen drivers to know exactly when teens are texting, talking, speeding or using social media while on the road – life-threatening behaviors. It takes more than a pledge to keep teens from using phones when driving. It takes Canary.

Like the historic canary in a coal mine, this app raises an alarm to parents in real time. Parents get immediate alerts via the app installed on their own phones and by email, with complete details of their teens’ activities – including a list of call volumes, locations and driving speeds and more – which Canary logs for later review.

With Canary, parents will know when a teen driver is:
•Using the iPhone in any way while traveling at more than 12 mph
•Exceeding speed limits
•Traveling into areas parents have set as off limits
•Traveling beyond areas parents have defined as safe
•Violating curfew

How big is the distracted driving problem?
•Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 15 and 24. (CDC)
•An estimated 24 percent of all crashes can be attributed to cell phone use while driving. (NSC)
•Distracted driving killed 3,092 people in the U.S. in 2010. (NHTSA)
•Most newly licensed, distracted teen drivers are using electronic devices (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety)
•40 percent of teens say they have been in a car when the driver’s cell phone use created danger. (Pew)

Why do you need Canary?
•Changing teen behavior requires more than verbal agreement. Parents who have lost children in tragic distracted driving accidents say they harped on the dangers of texting and driving until they were “blue in the face.”
•Teens are more likely to make safe decisions when their parents are watching.
•It provides a chance for parents correct their teens through whatever actions fit their parenting styles, including temporarily withdrawing car and/or phone privileges and rewarding and incenting safe behavior.
•Canary gives parents peace of mind and teens a tool to help them make the safest decisions.

“I am so excited about this new app, Canary. I think when we use it the right way … that app is going to help save lives.” – Jeanne Brown, whose 17-year-old daughter died in a crash while texting.

“You’ll need a [...] subscription to use—and the system depends on your child having their iPhone on them at all times—but it might ensure a bit more safety for your family.” – Macworld

“It seems like money well spent if it can help prevent distracted driving.” – The Stir

Canary is free to download but requires the purchase of a Canary Lifetime Subscription after the 7 day free subscription included. Although Canary is built to be battery-friendly, it does use GPS, and can therefore affect battery life. We recommend connecting the phone to a charge while in the car.