If you're sending your child off to college this fall, you're undoubtedly feeling a mixture of pride, sadness, and concern. You're naturally happy and proud because your child is getting off to a good start in life, but the sadness when they leave home is a bittersweet part of raising children. There isn't much you can do about some of these feelings, but you can do some things to alleviate your concern.

Worry is a natural part of parenting, and it doesn't stop when the child becomes an adult. Fortunately, technology exists that is designed to help optimize student safety while keeping parental concerns at a minimum. If your child is like most of today's technology-driven students, they'll never be far from their smartphone. The following are just three of the many ways that a smartphone can serve as a safety aid for college students.   

Include a Locksmith in Smartphone Contacts

If your son or daughter will be taking a vehicle to college, that just adds another layer of worry, but fortunately, there are steps that you can take to assure an increased level of safety for your child as well as greater peace of mind for yourself. One of the easiest ways to do this is to research local locksmiths in the community where your child will be attending college and adding that locksmith to your child's smartphone contacts. This way, your child won't have to fumble with the phone looking for available locksmiths late at night if they unexpectedly lock themselves out of their car. 

Use the AAA App

This app provides real-time roadside assistance as well as trip planning tools, directions, deals, and discounts on travel-related activities. The app is free for anyone with a AAA membership, and because you can use it on multiple vehicles, you won't be required to purchase a separate AAA membership for your student. Your student can access the app in the event of a vehicle breakdown, and it automatically transmits their geographical coordinates and directions to the nearest service provider. 

Download the bSafe App

The basic version of the bSafe app is completely free. It works by allowing users to craft a customized safety network of others who will receive alerts in emergencies or when the user feels unsafe. It's particularly helpful for students who must walk alone a night. Those on the list can also follow their friends in real time via GPS capability. It can even be programmed to contact others when the user doesn't arrive home within a specified time frame.