WHEN Hunter Connolly jammed on his brakes as he neared a junction in his home town of Madison, Wisconsin, it was not the first time the 17-year-old student had thought he could beat the red light, only to change his mind.

He avoided an accident, but not the wrath of his parents. A digital camera attached to his rear-view mirror sent a signal to a remote computer, which triggered an e-mail to Connolly’s father. Later the parents were able to examine a video recording of the 10 seconds before and after their son had braked.

The spy in the cab, which has long been used to monitor the movements of lorry drivers, is arriving in cars driven by American teenagers.

In an attempt to reduce an alarming accident rate among young drivers, an insurance company last week launched a pilot scheme in three states offering free spy camera technology to parents whose children drive.

Preliminary studies have shown sharp reductions in what the insurance company describes as “risky driver events” — swerving, heavy braking, sudden acceleration or collisions — in cars with so-called DriveCams.

Despite complaints from some teenagers that their privacy is being invaded, the DriveCams have been welcomed by nervous parents whose insurance payments rocket whenever a teenager is added to their policies. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for US teenagers, who are nine times more likely to crash a car than adults.

The DriveCams have one lens facing the driver and a second pointing towards the road. Images are only saved before and after a sudden change in the car’s behaviour. Parents can log on to a website — teensafedriver.com — where they can review any incidents.

The footage from the preliminary studies confirmed that teenagers are more easily distracted than adults but lack the driving experience to correct any mistakes.

“In some videos we’ve seen kids text-messaging, fiddling with the stereo and talking over their shoulders to their friends while they were driving,” said Steve Witmer of American Family Insurance. He said a pilot scheme for 60 families in Minneapolis had reduced risky driving by 70%.

Teenagers worried that the cameras will detect their activities in the back seat, where youthful American romances have traditionally been consummated, should note that the DriveCam does not function when the engine is switched off.

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