Know Your Parent Made It Home Safe

The Conversation You’ve Been Putting Off

Your parent is getting older. You worry every time they drive, especially at night or in bad weather. But taking the keys means taking their independence.

You’ve probably thought: “I just want to know they made it home safe.”

Sentry Driver makes that possible without daily phone calls or GPS trackers that feel like surveillance.

Accident Detection: The Feature That Matters Most

If something happens, you’ll know immediately. Not hours later when they don’t answer the phone.

Three sensitivity levels let you choose the balance:

• Low (2g): Only significant impacts - serious collisions
• Medium (4g): Moderate impacts - most accidents
• High (8g): Minor incidents - but more false positives from bumps or potholes

Every alert includes the exact location so you can respond or send help immediately.

For many families, this single feature is enough. Just knowing you’ll be notified if something happens provides enormous peace of mind.

Watching for Changes, Not Watching Every Move

Driving patterns change as we age. Sentry Driver helps you spot those changes objectively:

Hard Braking Frequency

More hard braking events might indicate slower reaction times or following too closely. Compare counts across drives to see trends.

Maximum Speeds

Are they driving faster or slower than before? Sudden changes in driving speed can signal confidence issues or confusion.

Trip Patterns

Sentry Driver logs every trip: distance, duration, start/end times. Are they taking shorter trips? Avoiding certain routes? Driving less often? The data tells the story.

Driving Behavior Sensitivity

Three levels of hard braking/acceleration detection let you tune what counts as concerning. Start at low sensitivity to avoid noise, increase if you need more visibility.

Data for Difficult Conversations

At some point, you may need to have the conversation about whether it’s time to stop driving. That’s hard enough without it becoming a fight about perception.

Sentry Driver provides objective data:

• “Dad, I noticed you had 8 hard braking events on your last three trips. That seems like more than usual.”
• “Mom, looking at your trips this month, you’re not going to the grocery store anymore. Is something going on?”

It’s not accusation. It’s information you can discuss together.

They Don’t Need to Install Anything

If it’s their Tesla, you can connect it with their permission via Tesla’s Fleet API. They don’t install an app or change how they drive.

If it’s your Tesla they borrow, monitoring activates automatically when your phone isn’t detected in the car (Bluetooth range of about 2 meters).

Either way, zero friction for them.

Preserving Dignity While Staying Informed

The goal isn’t surveillance. It’s safety without taking away autonomy.

Here’s how to frame it:

What you say: “I set up the car to alert me if there’s ever an accident. That way I’ll know to help immediately.”

What they hear: “My child cares about me and wants me to keep my independence.”

Focus on the accident detection feature. That’s the one that benefits them too - if something happens, help arrives faster. The other monitoring is for your awareness, not their restriction.

Geofence as a Safety Net, Not a Leash

Create an “allowed” zone around their normal driving area - home, grocery store, doctor’s office, church. Get alerted only if they leave that familiar territory.

This isn’t about tracking their every move. It’s about knowing if they’re suddenly somewhere unexpected - which could mean they got lost or had an emergency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my parent need to install an app?

No. If it’s their Tesla, you monitor through the Fleet API with their permission. If they borrow your Tesla, monitoring is automatic. Either way, they install nothing.

What if they find monitoring insulting?

Frame it around accident detection: “If you’re ever in an accident, I’ll know immediately and can send help.” Most parents appreciate that their children care about their safety. Focus on the benefit to them, not your peace of mind.

Can I only enable accident alerts?

Yes. Configure just accident detection and disable speed alerts, geofences, and driving behavior tracking. You’ll only be notified if something serious happens - minimal intrusion, maximum safety.

What sensitivity level should I choose for accident detection?

Start with Medium (4g). It catches real accidents without triggering on every pothole. If you’re getting false alerts, switch to Low (2g). If you want to catch minor incidents, try High (8g).

How do I know if their driving is getting worse?

Review the trip history: hard braking counts, max speeds, and trip patterns over time. Look for trends - increasing hard braking, shorter trips, unusual routes. The data is more reliable than subjective impressions.

What if I don’t want them to know?

We understand the impulse, but we strongly recommend transparency. Monitoring a parent without their knowledge raises real ethical issues. And if they find out, the trust damage could be worse than the difficult conversation upfront.