Top 10 Apps to Help Stop Distracted Driving

Top 10 Apps to Help Stop Distracted Driving

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month, so what better time to evaluate yourself and change bad driving habits? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving claimed 3,477 lives in 2015. Help reduce the number of incidents in 2017 and avoid distracted driving by using your phone-the right way.

It’s no secret that the use of smart phones has played a big role in the increase in distracted driving incidents. Reading just one text keeps our eyes off the road for an average of five seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. But did you know these same smart phones can be a tool to fight distracted driving, rather than the cause of it?

Developers have created apps that incentivize safe driving or even directly block you from using your phone.

You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Here are 10 apps to use to help stop distracted driving. Of course, only you can decide if any of them will be helpful, and accordingly, we cannot endorse any of them.

  • LifeSaver: LifeSaver uses GPS monitoring and a rewards system to help drivers break dangerous distracted driving habits. The app blocks the ability to use your phone while driving, and automatically lets loved ones know once you’ve safely arrived at your destination.
  • AT&T DriveMode: DriveMode is for both iOS and Android. AT&T’s DriveMode app helps keep drivers from distraction by blocking any phone taking or texting while you’re driving. DriveMode can be set up to automatically start when you are driving over 15 MPH.
  • TrueMotion: TrueMotion is free on both iOS and Android platforms and has a feature unique from other apps, “trip score”. Each time you’re behind the wheel, the app uses a rating scale for your overall drive, and pinpoints exact moments where you may have been driving distractedly. TrueMotion can compare driving scores and show a driver’s location on the road in real time, as well as their trip history.
  • CellControl: CellControl is a unique program that is designed to disable only the driver’s phone, leaving other passengers free to use their phones normally. CellControl prevents behaviors that have been defined ahead of time: texting, taking selfies, using social media accounts, and playing games, among others. It can also be set to simply monitor usage to determine whether or not a teenage driver is using their phone responsibly.
  • TextBuster: TextBuster locks all text, email and internet features when the car is running.
  • DriveSafe.ly: DriveSafe.ly reads incoming text messages and emails, including shorthand, aloud as they come in. DriveSafe.ly prevents drivers from looking down at the phone when they’re on the road, but still lets them know when important information comes through.
  • Live2Txt: Live2Txt lets you block incoming texts and calls while driving. Turn the app on when you get behind the wheel, and you’ll silence your smartphone from incoming notifications, texts and calls. When you receive a message, the app will alert the sender with a customized message that you’re unable to respond at the moment.
  • Waze: Waze is powered and used by drivers all over the world. Drivers connect to one another and work together to improve each other’s driving experience. As a community-based traffic and navigation app, Waze was created as a social navigation tool for private cars. Waze is a great app to use for directions because it will not allow you to type or use it, unless you indicate you are the passenger using the app, once the car is moving.
  • DriveScribe: DriveScribe blocks incoming calls and texts when the car is moving above a certain speed. In addition, the DriveScribe app notifies drivers who are traveling too fast.
  • TextLimit: TextLimit prevents predefined features on a phone from functioning when the phone is moving above a certain speed. Once the phone goes back under the predetermined speed, TextLimit restores all features and they are fully functional once more.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a distracted driving accident, don’t wait. Contact the John Bales Attorneys today for help.