GPS Technology: Protecting Kids & Teens In Interesting Ways
I think GPS or Global Positioning Systems are one of the coolest technologies out there today. I recently read about this GPS jacket of out of the UK called Bladerunner, which created a unique jacket designed to keep kids warm and safe. The jacket will help parents keep track of their children should they ever go missing.
What really stuck out at me about this story is this unique application of GPS technology. This jacket is a little pricey, but it may be worth it if your child ever goes missing. A children’s jacket will cost about $500.
Let’s look at the facts: 800,000 children go missing each year in the US. That’s around 2,200 a day. The Department of Justice estimates another 500,000 go missing each year without being reported. That’s crazy! After hearing those numbers, some parents will decide that it may well be worth the $500.
GPS technology and cell phones are helping authorities locate people all the time. Recently, a woman was found after she was missing for eight days. Police suspected her husband in her disappearance. Then, they located her by tracking her cell phone signal. Her husband was cleared. She was barely alive. She had crashed off the road, and they located her thanks to GPStechnology.
Recently, a US engineer also created a similar GPS product that uses GPS technology in sneakers. So sneakers can now help keep track of your children should they ever go missing, or if they’re abducted.
GPS is also keeping teen drivers safe. SafeCo has a new program for teen drivers called Teensurance. The program puts a GPS device on a teen’s vehicle, and it monitors the speed and location of the vehicle. Parents can then keep track of their teen and their driving habits. Parents can also set up driving zones, and curfews through the program as well.
Children and teens may not exactly like the idea of being constantly monitored. However, parents will be able to rest easier; thanks to GPS technology now, and in the future.
I don’t have children, but if I did I would definitely look into buying one of these products for them. I wouldn’t do it to know their every move. I would do it because I would want to keep them safe. And if something all the way in space can help do that, then the world will be a much better place.