For Teen Drivers, Mom's Monitoring

What can be documented is the number of motorist calls.

Michael Mendenhall, a senior engineer at CPT International in Marietta, Ga. -- which maintains the GGM phone line -- says there have been about 150 calls from motorists since January. Messages are kept on file for up to 30 days, he says.

And a sprinkling of parents in Florida, California, Illinois, Texas, Georgia and most recently in New Hampshire and Arkansas are giving it a try.

The same automated system that fields the watchdog calls is also set up to field membership calls. Online registration is also available. Last month the company reduced the annual fee to register three cars to $29.95, and $19.95 for each additional car. Initially it charged $79.95 and $59.95, respectively, says Graf.

Julene Fletcher of Villa Park, Ill., put a sticker on her 18-year-old daughter's car in April.

"It's a safety issue. I think kids are so excited to be behind the wheel, and they don't realize some things," Fletcher says. "Although, I'd like to stick this on some adults' cars."

That has already happened, too.

"I was so embarrassed," says the guilty party, John Keener, GGM's vice president of marketing. "I didn't even tell my wife that day."

He was driving and talking on his cell phone to a colleague. He then made a turn without signaling. While still having that phone conversation, he clicked over to another call and heard the GGM message: "This isn't about a teenager . . ."

Keener said he looked in his rear view mirror and knew the message was likely from the guy behind him.

There's a mom out there for everybody.