Apps that Are Available to Minimize the Risk of Distracted Driving

Statistics gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that distracted driving is involved in the deaths of more than 3,000 people every year. Whether it’s sending a text message, reading an e-mail or selecting music, drivers take their eyes, hands and mental focus off the road and the surrounding environment, causing injury to more than 400,000 people annually.

Ironically, there are applications that drivers can install on a smartphone that can prevent or limit some of the distractions caused by handheld devices. The major cell phone service providers all have such an app:

• Sprint Drive First—This app, available free to Sprint customers, engages automatically once the vehicle reaches a speed of 10 miles per hour. It locks the phone to prevent incoming or outgoing messages or calls. It also sends an automatic message that you are currently driving.
• AT&T Drive Mode—This app, also free, operates essentially the same way that Sprint Drive First does. It also has a function that allows parents to be notified if the app is turned off or the auto-mode is manually disabled.
• Verizon’s Safety Go!—This app must be turned on or off, but allows up to three “VIP” contacts to ring through. It also allows calls to come through if you are using a hands-free device.

There are also some third party applications that may be installed on a phone, such as cellcontrol®, a somewhat costly ($129) device that gives the user a fair amount of latitude in the degree to which a cell phone is disabled. DriveSafe.ly has Bluetooth compatibility, so it will transpose incoming texts and messages to voice without any action required by the user.

Contact cherry hill motor vehicle Attorney Neal S. Axe

To schedule a free initial consultation, send us an e-mail or call us at (856) 795-8788 for a cherry hill motor vehicle attorney. We check our messages day and night, and will meet with you any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you can’t come to our office, we will visit you in your home, the hospital or a nursing home facility.

We take all personal injury claims on a contingency basis. There are no legal fees unless we recover compensation for your losses.