Introduction: Teen Driving Alert

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About: Hello, I am currently completing my dietetic internship to become a Registered Dietitian. I love all things related to food and nutrition and am always striving to find new ways to make meals easier and health…

Is your child turning 16 anytime soon? Are you worried about them driving and being safe behind the wheel? To give parents peace of mind, I've created a teen driving alert. This device hooks up into your teen's car. Whenever the car turns too hard or stops suddenly you'll receive an alert via text message notifying your of the reckless driving. This way you'll know if they are misbehaving, texting, or maybe just not paying attention behind the wheel. Are you ready to keep your new driver safe? Let's go!

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Keeping it pretty simple here with only three items:

  • LinkIt One Media Board
  • Sim Card
  • SparkFun Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - MMA8452Q

Step 2: Plug in Your Sim Card

To insert your Sim card, flip the LinkIt One board over and slide it into the small metal piece popping up (shown in the picture above).

Step 3: Attach Antennae

Next, we need to attach the GSM antennae so that your device will get cell signal. This piece comes with any LinkIt One kit. To install flip your board over again and attach the antennae as the picture shows above.

Step 4: Attach Your Accelerometer

To attach your accelerometer find the 2 pins named SDA and SCL and slide it in (shown in the image above).

Step 5: Upload Your Code

Now it is time to upload your code! Please download the code file that is attached below and install it onto your LinkIt One.

Attachments

Step 6: Hide Device in Your Teen's Automobile

Last but not least, plug the battery that comes with your kit into your LinkIt One. This serves as it's own power source so it is not plugged into the vehicle in any manner. From here, you can hide the device since it has it's own power source or you can leave it in plain view or in a compartment under the dash. It's up to you whether you decide tell your teen about the device. Now that the device is in the car, you are ready to launch! From here on, whenever the car experiences a sudden stop or hard turn the device will send you a text alert. The beauty of this device is that it keeps you as a parent informed. With this device, I wish you and your teen many years of safe driving!