Software Companies Scramble for Solutions to Texting While Driving
As the dangers of texting while driving become ever more apparent, software companies are working on a number of cell phone applications that can solve or mitigate the problem.
These solutions mostly involve blocking text messages from being sent or received while the cell phone’s owner is driving. These applications will, in most cases, require a smart phone with GPS technology.
Safe Driving Systems Corp. has developed a system that controls the cell phone’s display as soon as the owner starts driving; it disables the keypad and only allows emergency calls to be made. Called Key2SafeDriving, the system will soon be available for $100.
The start-up Aegis Mobility will offer DriveAssist for $6 to $12 per month, which will detect when the phone is moving at driving speed and intercept incoming texts and calls. It will also block outgoing communications, with the exception that the driver can override it in an emergency. DriveAssist signed a deal with Nationwide Mutual Insurance that will give policyholders a discounted rate if they subscribe to the service.
Then there are companies like Vingo Corp. and Mobivox that offer voice-to-text technology. For a per-message fee, owners can dictate their texts while driving. Vingo offers an $18 version of the application for BlackBerry; Mobviox offers the service for 29 cents per message through its wireless carrier partners.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving, and it seems likely that many more states will soon follow suit given the overwhelming evidence of its dangers.
Firms Racing to End Texting and Driving (The Wall Street Journal)
Previous
Subscribe to our feed
Email us your tips!
I am curious about how does software know it is driver or passenger is using the phone?
Yeah no joke. What if you are on the subway or bus?
How about if people used phones to, you know, talk, instead of text. While talking is also distracting, it's not nearly as distracting as trying to type on a keypad crammed onto a 2" x 4" phone. If the person doesn't pick up, leave a voicemail. After all, that's how they used to do it.
So how is this going to be distributed, only to cautious parents? People that text while driving aren't going to want to give up the habit, especially for $100.
Paying for something that disables features and treats me like a child? No thank you.
A technology solution that restricts phone or text use helps but distractions occur from many activities like kids asking questions from the back seat, music on the radio as well as many other events on the road and in the car.
That is possible be improving brain performance and therefore enhancing a driver’s ability to ignore distractions and pay attention to critical cues. Posit Science, where I am CEO, recently introduced DriveSharp, a brain fitness program recommended by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. There is a free online demo of one of the training exercises and a free evaluation at www.drivesharpnow.com
I agree,texting while driving should be restrict and avoided.Some accidents may vary into this situation.When a person drive,focus on driving to prevent and reduce road accidents.
What's happening recently with devices such as iphone and other touch screen devices is that lack of tactile response forces users to look at screen distracting them from the road.. I thaink that it is ridiculous to ban all devices rather than promote innovation by forcing cell phone manufactures to pass certain tests to verify that there phones are safe to road use so you can use one of those phones if you want to continue to text while driving... Sometimes it is essential that you receive or send a quick text while driving for things like changing plans etc.. How would u like to spend an hour driving only to realize that someone texted u that plans had changed....