Is Banning Cell Phones in Cars the Solution to Distracted Driving?

Handling Distractions

Almost everyone reading this article will whole-heartedly agree that framing fool-proof laws to curb distracted driving is the need of the hour. Not only in US or UK, the problems due to distracted driving are omnipresent with different degrees of severity. The distractions while driving can be anything that hinder your focus on the road and traffic ahead. For instance, it can be drinking, eating, smoking, adjusting radio channels or your air condition in car, grooming yourself, applying make-up, talking with co-passengers, reaching for something in your back seat, peering at other commuters rather than focusing on the road ahead of you, using mobile or other electronic gadgets, and so on.

No law can stop you from taking your screaming children in car or for any momentary distraction you have. The maximum could be a small fine for careless driving, under the assumption that the worst did not happen. You have to understand that most of the accidents involve one or more distracted drivers who could not maneuver their automobiles safely in the neck of the moment when they regained their focus on the road after any distraction.

Mobile Phones – The Major Distraction

Though it is the responsibility of the individuals to drive safely or use alternative mobile app such as DriveSafe.ly which will help them reduce distractions, laws play an important role too. Banning cell phones in car is a positive step in curbing distracted driving as several surveys indicate that talking on phone and texting while driving are the most dangerous distractions as they consume major part of the driver’s concentration. If such traffic laws are implemented successfully, the number of accidents due to distracted driving can be brought down considerably. Banning cell phones in car is a small positive step in the long journey to curb distracted driving completely.

Corporate Texting While Driving Policies

Getting Serious about Safe Driving

Though it is a contradiction, most of the human beings do not follow the right practices until they are forced to do so; this stands good in all cases as we require stringent laws even for following safe driving habits for our own safety. So many companies have come forward to implement corporate policies which underline the importance of driving safely. The first step is to ensure that their employees understand the risks associated with dangerous driving. This can be accomplished by conducting workshops and seminars to enlighten the audiences.

Corporate such as AT&T have already included the terms for safe driving in their policies to ensure maximum safety of large number of their employees. They have policies forbidding the use of mobile phones when behind the wheels which also includes texting while driving. Though this does not ensure 100% guarantee that the employees will not TWD, it is a good start to indicate that TWD is illegal and unsafe. US bank has also amended its corporate policy to discourage their employees from using mobiles while driving.

Beyond Corporate Policies

Many large companies have begun conducting awareness campaigns, public service announcements, and other similar initiatives to get across the safe driving practices beyond their employees and reach out to the public. There has been a bounce in the sales of protective screen covers for mobiles instructing against texting while driving which are used by the companies to fondly remind their employees. Apart from these, several companies are using mobile applications such as Drivesafe.ly, which will enable the drivers to listen to text messages and emails without having to take their hands off the steering wheels; thus ensuring a safe drive with hands free cell phones. Changing corporate policies are undoubtedly a milestone in the attempts to ban texting while driving.

Companies Are Banning Employees From Texting While Driving Company Owned Automobiles

More and more companies have put policies in place that effectively forbid their employees from texting while driving company owned cars. This clearly indicates to employees that the company takes state bans on texting while driving seriously. By forbidding employees from texting while driving, such companies help reduce the incidences of distracted driving and road collisions.

Nationwide and Ford are two major companies that have taken the ban on texting while driving, or TWD, to heart. They’ve included such bans in company policies that make an employee subject to disciplinary action in the event they violate the clause on TWD. And new recruits are familiarized with company wide policies and procedures during induction training.

Over 111 million people work from their cars and many require a cell phone to communicate and keep in touch with colleagues, business associates and peers. It’s an indispensable tool for work and a critical component of the daily lives of sales and marketing personnel. Rather than demanding employees from using cell phones while driving, companies have merely forbidden texting while driving.

At Exxon, research has shown that employee productivity has not flagged as a result of the new policies. It’s become apparent that a driver does not really have to respond fully to every incoming text message and email while driving. And that most business related communication can actually be deferred a half hour until the driver finds a place to stop the car and return a call or reply to an SMS.

Having a hands-free cell phone with a mobile app that lets you listen to text is an ideal solution to keep employees connected with business while on the go. Here’s where the free BlackBerry app called DriveSafe.ly is a suitable alternative. It’s activated with just one touch and lets you listen to email that is spoken aloud in real time. So you’re still in the loop even while behind the wheel!

Car Insurance Sky Rockets as an Effect of Texting While Driving

Simple Mathematics

If you have a car then it is mandatory that you will have car insurance too. If you have gone through the terms of car insurance, you would have noticed clearly stated terms to imply that your car insurance premiums will increase if you have an accident. It goes without saying that if you are texting while driving, you increase your probability to get into an accident and thus multiply your car insurance premiums. You have to understand the several hidden and associated costs you have to pay if you are tempted to read or send text messages or emails while driving.

Apart from involving in dangerous driving (both for yourself and other commuters around you), you have to realize that almost all car insurance policies rate accidents against your coverage. The increase in policy quotes will depend on the nature and severity of the accident. Your driving history will always contain details of every accident and if you are found to be in fault then it is undoubtedly a bad news when you look for new car insurance policies as your premiums will skyrocket.

Think before You TWD

In most of the countries TWD is banned but in the ones where there are no legal laws against TWD, without second thoughts, distracted driving is the fault of the driver. So keep your mobiles away while driving as there are many unforeseen consequences which will result due to your distracted driving for few seconds. One of the best alternatives is to install software such as DriveSafe.ly which will enable you to listen to text messages and emails (including the SMS shorthand); this is undoubtedly a boon to check your inbox safely while driving. In addition to increased risks of your car insurance skyrocketing, avoiding TWD is a matter of your safety.

Are You Texting While Driving? If yes ..!! Then You’re Probably Watching TV!

Do you know what you’re really doing when you’re texting while you’re driving, or TWD? You’re watching TV. Well, maybe not exactly having the TV on next to your windscreen but it’s the same sort of idea. Why? Because you’re not concentrating on the road while you’re TWD.

When you’re behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, the road is where your eyes should be focused on. Not the monitor of your BlackBerry. Taking your eyes off the road even for a second puts both you and your passengers in grave danger. Distracted driving accounts for a staggering number of road accidents annually and many of those are a result of texting while driving. This phenomenon cuts across the whole strata of the driving public.

As interesting as the TV can be, you’re not about to agree that it’s a good idea to watch a mini TV screen when you’re driving. That’s exactly what your BlackBerry is when you’re texting while driving. You’re not only setting yourself up for a possible car crash but you’re putting innocent people in direct danger with your total disregard for safe driving.

You can stop dangerous driving this minute by using a free BlackBerry app called DriveSafe.ly. It’s a revolutionary mobile app that let’s you listen to text as you’re maneuvering your vehicle. You can download it from the DriveSafe.ly website and it doesn’t use up much battery. You can be completely hands free as it works with just one touch, reading all incoming messages aloud in a natural sounding voice.

You can even listen to email up to 500 words in length with the premium version. The application will use your phone ID to uniquely identify your mobile device. You can then use it for the life of your phone with a one off payment of $13.95. You don’t have to be watching TV anymore when you can listen to SMS with DriveSafe.ly

Banning Cell Phones in Cars – Is This the Solution to Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is caused by a multitude of factors. Chief among these, according to the 2009 Traffic Safety Culture Index, is the use of cell phones while driving. 90% of the respondents to the survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety stated that emailing or texting while driving was a very serious threat to safety. Yet, despite acknowledging the risks, 18% of them were involved in texting while driving and a further 55% were talking on the cell phone while driving.

Banning cell phones in cars may not be an effective solution to distracted driving. Maria Shriver, the wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, was photographed using a cell phone while driving in violation of the state’s ban on hand held cell phones while maneuvering a moving vehicle. The fact that numerous people still need to stay connected with business associates, clients and family while on the move means that using a cell phone in the car is a necessity. Distracted driving can still take place without cell phones, such as when a driver tries to change the CD or eat a hamburger or wear makeup with only one hand on the wheel and both eyes off the road.

A better solution would be to encourage the use of innovative technology that allows drivers to be entirely hands free yet still read their incoming text messages and email. A motorist can then keep both hands on the wheel while driving. Having a hands free cell phone that lets you listen to text greatly reduces the possibility of distracted driving caused by texting while driving.

DriveSafe.ly is a free mobile app that allows drivers to listen to email and SMS as they are spoken aloud in real time and automatically respond to the sender. This application uses your cell phone speakers or Bluetooth to articulate even SMS acronyms like ‘brb’ with just a one touch activation. It’s the proven solution enhancing productivity without texting while driving.

Texting While Driving Makes You Lose Track of Vehicle Speed

Fast driving has a thrill all its own. But it’s also dangerous driving. Even more so when you’re pressing down on the accelerator as you’re texting while driving, or TWD.

Drivers often lose track of vehicle speed when they’re TWD. Not having a hands free cell phone means they’ve got to switch from staring out the windscreen to staring at the mobile phone monitor. That sort of activity can’t be classified as safe driving. In fact, it’s a road fatality waiting to happen as you’re not paying any attention to the speedometer or the speed limit.

You can do something to make sure you drive safe and not ignore how fast your car is going. Download the free Mobile app Drivesafe.ly. Doesn’t matter if you’ve got an Android or a Windows Mobile, the application works fine on all mobile devices. You get a link by typing your cell phone number in the box at the DriveSafe.ly website. With the link, you get to download the app.

You can then listen to text as a voice reads your messages aloud in real time as you’re driving. Choose an auto-responder if you want to reply immediately to your SMS or email. Yes, you can even listen to email that’s up to 500 words long with the premium version of DriveSafe.ly

When you listen to text message, you can focus on safe driving. You can take note of your speed and adjust the pressure you place on the accelerator. You’ll be able to avoid the on-coming truck and negotiate a dangerous bend simply by opting for going hands free.

Let your text messages speak to you with DriveSafe.ly and stop dangerous driving. Avoid texting while driving, or TWD, and keep your vehicle speed within the limit. Choose to listen to SMS instead of touching the keys on your mobile phone!