Need Help to Avoid Distracted Driving? Download These Apps!

Whether it’s to communicate with your friends and family, stay updated on people’s lives and current events or conduct daily activities, our cellphones have become the center of our lives. Unfortunately, we find it difficult to put our phones away, even while we’re operating a motor vehicle.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, cellphone use while driving is a factor in approximately 1.6 million car accidents annually, resulting in 6,000 fatalities and 500,000 injuries. Although texting while driving is considered a criminal offense in the majority of states, many people do it anyway, despite being aware of the dangers.

To help us be safer, distraction-free drivers, there are several apps that can encourage good driving behaviors. Instead of using your phone to cause distracted driving, use it to combat distracted driving.

The most popular distracted driving app include the following:

• AT&T DriveMode – Available for iPhone and Android users, this app silences all incoming texts and sends auto-reply messages to those texting you, notifying them that you’re currently driving. As soon as your vehicle begins to move, the app automatically starts.
• LifeSaver – This app is popular among families and fleets. For parents who worry about their kids using their cellphones while operating the car, they have the ability to lock the device when the car is in motion. For commercial drivers, LifeSaver will lock at a certain driving speed and the portal enables fleet supervisors to make sure their drivers are not distracted.
• Cellcontrol – In addition to blocking texts and phone calls, this app also stops social media alerts and even the impulse for use to take selfies. For parents, they can receive a text or e-mail alert if Cellcontrol is deactivated or deleted.
• TrueMotion Family – One feature that this app has that others don’t is its “trip score”. Each time a person drivers, the app uses a rating system to score your overall drive and determine exact points in the drive where you may have been distracted. You can compare driving scores and show your loved one’s location on the road in real time, including a trip history.
• SafeDrive – Would you like to make a game out of driving distraction-free? One that even offers prizes? Then SafeDrive may be the app for you. This app rewards you for not texting while driving, awarding you points that can be used for discounts at participating stores. However, you can also lose points as soon as you attempt to access your cellphone.
• It Can Wait – If you’re not entirely convinced that using your cellphone while driving is a bad idea, this app features a virtual reality simulation which demonstrates the devastating consequences of texting while driving. Some folks need to see how a crash will occur in order to believe it.

No matter which app you decide to use, downloading a safe driving app is a positive step toward driving free from distraction. User your cellphone as a safety tool to avoid accidents and injuries.

For more information about distracted driving accidents in Colorado, contact Gerash Steiner & Blanton, P.C. and request a free consultation with our Denver car accident attorneys today.