A newly introduced device, designed to be a solution to the number one cause of death among young people ages 16 to 20, allows parents to control their teen drivers’ top vehicle speed, according to its makers.
Created by Dan and Kim Mager, Ohio law enforcement officers and parents of a teen driver, Highway Guardian is an electronic, GPS-based device that limits the top speed of a vehicle to 73 mph by safely controlling the fuel injection system. Powered by the auto’s electrical system, the device can be installed in about one hour in a simple, three-wire installation. The device works in nearly any vehicle manufactured after 1990.
According to the makers, each year in the U.S., approximately 14,000 teen and collateral deaths, and 140,000 serious injuries occur in automobile accidents, with 40% of all of them being due to high speed.
“The concept arose after my fellow officers and EMS personnel and I witnessed the devastating impact of high-speed crashes involving teenagers,” Dan Mager said. “In a relatively short time, several accidents claimed the lives of teenagers near my hometown. Two things became absolutely clear to me: First, something had to be invented to protect our children. Second, there was no time to waste. I comprised a well-equipped team. We worked hard and our dream of saving lives became a reality.”
The device, manufactured by Intellitronix in Mentor, Ohio, retails for $299 and can be ordered at highwayguardian.com. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of Highway Guardian benefit The Chelsea Gerbitz Memorial Scholarship Fund.
