Posted on 09/01/2010 4:10:32 PM PDT by Libloather
New Technology Could Help Solve Texting While Driving Problem, Tennessee Attorney Says
Morristown, Tennessee (PRWEB) August 4, 2010 – New software that blocks drivers from texting, e-mailing or Web surfing when behind the wheel could play a big role in reducing distracted driving accidents, says Tennessee personal injury attorney Brack Terry.
The anti-texting applications, including CellSafety, iZup, tXtBlocker and ZoomSafer, generally use a phone’s GPS to determine when a car is moving and disable a cell phone or texting device when the car is going faster than 5 or 10 mph. The programs also have opt-out features.
“These emerging technologies, along with new laws across the country that prohibit texting while driving, are clearly going to make our roads safer from distracted drivers,” says Terry, a partner of the Morristown, Tennessee personal injury law firm of Terry, Terry & Stapleton.
“However, I think it’s too early to say that these software programs are being widely used, and the anti-texting laws have been shown to be difficult to enforce,” Terry says. “Unfortunately, texting while driving remains a very serious traffic safety issue.”
Motorists who text while driving are 23 times more likely than other drivers to be in an accident, according to a study by the Virginia Tech Driving Institute. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that more than 20 percent of all crashes in the U.S. in 2008 involved distracted drivers, resulting in nearly 6,000 deaths and 500,000 injuries.
“I think the public has come to realize how big of a problem texting while driving has become, and so you are starting to see a movement to ban this dangerous practice,” Terry says.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Technology breeds technology. An old piece but today was the first I've heard of it. Great for parents with teenagers.
So passengers can’t text?
Yes, great, except nobody would be able to text in the car.
Great, now the government will mandate this BS. Nanny state here we come!
This is a tough issue for me. I hate more government intrusion. I also hate nearly being hit by morons texting while driving. Perhaps if they would just make it legal for me to pull them out of their car and beat them to a pulp...
Maybe they'll just have to hold it until the next rest stop.
Great! Can it tell who is driving, flying, on a train, skidiving?
Cram it Nanny Stater.
How about they just make the fines $1000.00 for texting while driving and call it a day?
I used to be against such measures, but I now appreciate our “no handheld cell phone law” in CA.
Well, that’s not quite a easy as it might sound.
If you’re on a trip of several hours, and something comes up with people you intend to meet, you need to be able to communicate.
It seems to me we’re looking for technological fixes here that are silly in the overall scheme of things.
It’s like putting those damned bumps on every street in town to stop a few people going over the speed limit by five to ten miles per hour.
I just wish the IQ of the public was high enough where we wouldn’t need to address this stuff.
Abstenence is best in this case as well.
so if someone is kidnapped and they text 911 but the message does not go through we can sue this idiot attorney?
he is the definition of douchbag.
the attorney must be childless.
this is like the locks that require a thumb print to start a car. theives just cut off the thumb.
Reckless driving laws are on the books in every state.
1500$ fine per is my suggestion.
I use a Motorola H9 earbud for my phone.
Phone never leaves my day pack ....voice dialing etc......good easy to use an very small rig.
So..... I have to RUN this app so that it will STOP ME from texting?
But.... I can OPT OUT if I want to.
I'm not a texter, so somebody will have to 'splain how that's gonna work to me.
I used to do that too. There are times when it drives me batty, but I like the concept. My iPhone doesn’t have voice call-up to my knowledge, so I start my calls before I begin to drive, or I simply click twice to repeat the last call. Obviously I can click on an incoming call.
Not in a bus, train, or horse buggy either.
So..... now people are going to slow down to 10 MPH on the freeway?
< /cynic >
Works every time it's tried.
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