But I totally needed to run that stop sign!

“Our program is really about providing a bridge between parents supervising teenage drivers in their vehicle and being out there on their own,” Weiss said.

Privacy-wise, the key is that the program is voluntary, said Joan Claybrook, president of the nonprofit group Public Citizen, which advocates for safer roads.

“I think it’s very important for teenagers to get some feedback at a time when they’re new to driving,” she said. “As long as they’re fully informed of the potential uses of it and the parents are fully informed of it and they decide to do it anyway, then that’s fine.”

Other programs aim to accomplish similar goals using global positioning systems technology.

Guy Thompson of Lake Oswego, Ore., gets an automated text message whenever his 16-year-old daughter Maggie drives her car more than five miles from home or exceeds 55 mph, limits he set to trigger alerts under the Teensurance plan. He also can monitor the location of her car online, or even set the device to notify him if the car arrives at a specified address.

Thompson says the extra information eases his concerns when Maggie is out and has made her more forthcoming about her whereabouts.

Maggie said she’s become a more conscientious driver because she knows that if she speeds, the device — and her dad — will hold her accountable.

“I think it’s generally a good thing,” she said, “as long as you have a trusting relationship and you’re honest. And if you don’t, maybe it’s a step in the right direction.”

Customers of Seattle-based Safeco pay an additional $14.99 a month for two years for the program.

While Safeco agents suggested that initial interest in the program was tepid, spokesman Matt Gertmenian characterizes nationwide sales as good so far. The main goal, he said, is to get teens to think and talk more about driving safety.

“We’re trying to have them drive the way they do when Mom and Dad are in the car with them,” he said.

Another new program is MobileTeen GPS, launched in April by American International Group Inc.’s AIG Auto Insurance. Like Teensurance, the GPS program sends parents an e-mail or text message if the teen’s car exceeds pre-defined speed limits or strays too far from home or school.

The cost is $19.99 a month for two years for policy holders of Wilmington, Del.-based AIG; others can buy the device for $469 and join the program for another $29.99 a month.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is withholding a formal opinion until it can complete studies on their effectiveness. It’s also unclear how widely the monitoring devices will be embraced by parents and teens, said Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research.

“We think it’s quite likely that the teens’ behavior would be affected, knowing that their parents are getting feedback on the risk-taking and the errors that they’re making,” she said. “Whether that translates into lower crashes, we don’t know.”

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