Fighting distracted driving: Technology can be part of the solution

While distracted driving education and laws are some attempts to curb the dangerous behavior of texting and driving, another way is through the use of technology that cuts off the temptation. Yesterday, at the NOYS (National Organization for Youth Safety) teen distracted driving summit in Washington, D.C., technology was discussed as another solution to combat texting and driving.

We've seen a number of smart-phone apps already in the market to help address the risks and temptations to text behind the wheel. We even reviewed a few such apps for our April issue report on distracted driving. Since then, more solutions are cropping up aided by new technologies.

Cell-phone carriers are getting involved. Last month, we discussed Sprint's app to combat distracted driving, which locks your phone when the car is moving over 10 mph. It costs $2 a month and is available on Android phones at this time, but will expand to other models in the future. AT&T recently launched DriveMode, which is a little different from Sprint. It is free to AT&T customers, but doesn't use GPS technology. Users have to enable or disable the function through a button on their phone before and after driving.

Another interesting app shown at the NOYS event was from a company called SafeApp, which uses Bluetooth technology to shut down a phone's functions in the car. It's currently only available on Android phones. The app automatically activates and deactivates when the phone pairs to a Bluetooth device and it can be either one integrated in the car or an earpiece. It automatically sends a Do Not Disturb reply to texts and calls. The app is customizable and also has parent controls. The company reps I spoke with claim it's better than the GPS motion technology as those turn off the phone's function if you are traveling on a bus or other public transportation and drains the phone battery quickly. Each seems to have its pros and cons.

There is no shortage of apps out there to prevent phone use in the car. By turning off the text chime or cell phone ring alerts, these systems have merit to be a part of the solution to help stop more people from dying. In the end, the responsibility rests with the driver. If you find the temptation to use a phone while behind the wheel to be irresistible, choosing from a growing number of technical solutions might just save your life, or that of others.

See our special section on teens and distracted driving.

Related:
Making NOYS: Teen safety summit tackles the dangers of texting and driving head on

—Liza Barth