MCI’s SkyTel division has launched a new vehicle tracking service called SkyGuard, which offers parents of teenage drivers the ability to track where their children drive, and to remotely lock the doors and prevent the car from being started.

Parents who sign up for the SkyGuard service will receive a unit, about the size of a bar of soap, which attaches to the car, monitors its location via GPS, and can be wired to the door locks and starter.

They will also be given access to a secure web site where they can track and control the vehicle in real time, as well as define restricted zones where they will receive an email or phone call if the vehicle enters the restricted area.

“SkyGuard allows parents to know their children’s whereabouts, giving them peace-of-mind,” said Bruce Deer, SkyTel president. “By utilizing our wireless and IP capabilities, we are able to provide a product that is accessible 24 X 7, easy to use and helps parents encourage their children to behave responsibly while driving.”

“Parents who know where their kids are, who they’re with and what they’re doing are less likely to have children who engage in risky activity, or to be around others that do,” said Kenneth Beck, Professor in the Department of Public and Community Health at the University of Maryland at College Park. “Unfortunately, the research shows that parents are usually not aware of what their teens are doing and fail to establish and enforce rules and boundaries, and monitor what their teens are doing.”

The SkyGuard service is available in most major metropolitan areas in the United States.