Connected World editor, Peggy Smedley claims the technology to eliminate accident and death due to distracted driving is literally at our fingertips.
Smedley contends that due to technology available, all it takes is the will to restrain ourselves from looking away from the road. She believes the conversation should be educational and steered towards solutions, not problems.
Solutions included not trying to make people stop texting but to use voice control instead. If people used the technology available appropriately, it could prevent problems.
Smedley recommends education and use of tech tools to improve driver behavior using OBD.
She advocates that all states should prohibit all handheld use of cellphones for texting on electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle, allowing only hands free devices, as well as banning all handheld cellphones while driving except for emergency use.
Other Suggested Rules:
- Limit distractions in the dashboard, such as social media: Facebook and Twitter feeds, gaming, videos, photos.
- Create a governing body (comprised of independent individuals) to evaluate acceptable in-vehicle apps offered by OEMs, carriers, and developers to be incorporated in any and all vehicles.
- Hands-free usage should be tested by licensing departments.
On the other hand, the National Safety Council that recognizes April as National Safety Month, it advocates the following:
- Stop using cell phones while driving.
- Recognize that hands-free devices offer no safety benefit.
- Understand the dangers of the cognitive distraction to the brain.
- Tell others about the dangers of cell phone distracted driving.
Our company has been working on Text and Drive software solutions since 2009. Last year, unfortunately, we saw Distracted Driving become the #1 killer of teens in the US – more lethal than drunk driving. One of the biggest concerns is how the new on-board experience will include distracted driving solutions.
I built our flagship product, OTTER, to be compatible with many of the apps already on-board these new vehicles. Take a look at Pandora Radio, for example. When OTTER’s patent pending GPS Mode is active, all notifications are silenced, texts get an auto-reply and, unless Bluetooth is active, phone calls go quietly to voice mail. However, Pandora Radio plays on and there are no distractions or sound interruptions from incoming texts . I think the balance between the excitement behind the infotainment evolution and Distracted Driving needs to be reported. The safety side of this issue needs to come into balance with the infotainment side – without detracting from the excitement therein.
Erik Wood, Founder
OTTER apps