Ever since the Department of Transportation held their distracted driving summit last fall, bans against texting while driving have been cropping up almost nationwide. So far, text messaging is banned in 27 states and the District of Columbia, with three more state laws going into effect in the coming months. In addition, novice drivers are banned from texting in eight states. Laws are multiplying, but drivers still need to curb this dangerous behavior.
And, keep in mind, that simply talking on the phone (hands-free or not) while driving can also be a dangerous distraction.
Many individual companies have instituted their own employee texting bans and, likewise, President Obama put out an executive order last fall banning federal employees from texting while driving government-owned vehicles. To help enforce these bans, software companies are offering technological solutions to stop the texting impulse, ensure the safety of their employees, and prevent lawsuits.
Two companies—Managed Mobility and WebSafety—have joined forces to provide software to government agencies and businesses that disables texting, emailing, and web surfing on cell phones while driving in the car. The software uses the cell-phone GPS to determine when and how fast a vehicle is moving. After the car hits 5 or 10 mph, the phone is blocked from texting.
A number of other applications are already in the market, with many aimed at parents stopping their teen drivers from texting and driving. A company called tXtblocker also allows parents to set up “No-Cell-Zones” to disable the texting function at specific locations, like during school. Similar apps are available for download on your smart phone, as well.
Auto manufacturers are also joining the cause by offering blocking software on in-vehicle systems. Ford recently announced that starting with the 2011 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, the SYNC system will have a “Do not disturb” button that will allow drivers to choose to block incoming calls and messages while they are behind the wheel.
While we have not tested any of these applications, we welcome ways to reduce the 8,000 annual deaths and a half million injuries that result from distracted driving. If texting behind the wheel is a temptation for you or your loved ones, a motion-based application may be invaluable.
For more on distracted driving see our related blogs.
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