Companies offer high tech cures for distracted driving
Several technology companies are offering products claiming to solve the problems created by distracted driving by removing the temptation to use a handheld communication device while operating a motor vehicle.
Software applications designed for smartphones, for example, utilize the device’s accelerometer to ascertain that the user is inside of a moving motor vehicle, at which time several potentially distracting functions of the driver’s cell phone, such as the ability to send an receiving text messages, will be disabled tfor the duration of the trip.
A product offered by Cellcontrol includes a monitoring device that plugs directly into a commercial vehicle’s on board computer system. The device communicates with the driver’s cell phone via Bluetoot signal, disabling all but emergency calls while the automobile is in motion in accordance with the driving policy specified by the driver’s employers. The device can also report unsafe driving practices such as speeding to the company that owns the commercial vehicle.
Applications such as iGuardianTeen are designed with the parents of young drivers in mind. The program reports driving behavior, such as text messaging behind the wheel, to parents in real time and forwards all incoming phone calls to voice mail while the teen driver’s car is in motion.
As a Burlingame car accident lawyer, I hope these products are successful in lowering the number of distracted drivers on the roads. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident caused by inattentive driving, please consider hiring a Burlingame personal injury attorney.
