Text messaging has fast become a scourge on the asphalt, posing an even greater risk of driving accidents than talking on a cell phone. (Heck, even walking and texting is a recipe for disaster.) One free tool we recently tested may help keep serial texters’ hands and eyes on the road.

iSpeech’s DriveSafe.ly is a downloadable software application for your smart phone that will read aloud incoming text message and e-mails. The program then responds automatically to the sender, letting them know that you are currently behind the wheel. DriveSafe.ly is available on Blackberry and Android phones, and iSpeech promises compatibility soon with the iPhone and Windows Mobile devices.

The free version will read up to 25 words per message, including some ads. The for-pay version ($13.95) will read up to 500 words; a $3.95 monthly subscription will cut out the ads.

For more on DriveSafe.ly, see the full review at the Consumer Reports Cars Blog. —Nick K. Mandle