Everyone has seen someone doing it or done it themselves at one point or another. You get that notification on your phone while driving and glance over at it to see what it was. Or even worse, you pick it up and answer the text or email, all the while casting quick glances at the road to make sure you’re still in your lane.
Everyone knows it’s dangerous and they shouldn’t be doing it, but that siren call is sometimes too hard to resist. Sadly, that urge has been the last for many distracted drivers, causing countless car accidents and taking far too many lives. Officials estimate that, in 2012 alone, distracted driving caused over 3,300 deaths in the United States—of both distracted drivers and innocent victims.
Now, a company out of Baton Rouge is looking to change that with the help of technology. They’ve invented a device that acts as a transponder, telling a driver’s smartphone when the car is in motion and disabling its features. The user can choose to shut off texting but leave calls to emergency responders enabled.
Such a device has the potential to be an invaluable tool for people who want to police their driving-age teens—or themselves—and make sure their eyes remain on the road at all times.
The device can also send reports to another phone detailing what’s happening with the vehicle and if the device has been purposely disabled.
Several other companies are trying their hand at attempting to stop the dangerous behavior of distracted driving, with apps that control texting and web functionality while the vehicle is in motion or report to the account holder any unauthorized activity.
The truth is, there is a simple solution to prevent fatalities and serious injuries from this form of distracted driving: put the phone away.
If it is too late for an app or discipline to prevent this dangerous behavior by another driver from affecting your life through an accident, a Baton Rouge attorney may be able, on your behalf, to fight for compensation for lost wages and medical expenses.
Source: usatoday.com, “Distracted driving apps for when willpower fails,” Matt Schmitz, April 30, 2014
