Smartphone apps, such as Mojo, DriveScribe, Cellcontrol, LifeSaver, and DriveSafe.ly, are instrumental in preventing distracted driving. Drivers can download and install these apps on their phones to help them limit their tendency of texting, calling, or using their smartphone while driving.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that accidents caused by distracted driving kill at least nine people and injure another 1,153 people each day. Fortunately, these five apps can help prevent smartphone-related driver distractions such as calling and texting while driving.
Mojo
Mojo promotes safe driving by tracking a driver’s trips, then awarding him or her a mojo score depending on phone usage while driving. It awards the driver one point for every minute he or she drives without touching the phone.
Once the driver has accumulated 300 points, he or she can get a gift card worth $5. This card is accepted by Amazon, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks. This free app also serves as a social application that allows users to participate in safe driving competitions.
DriveScribe
This app converts a driver’s smartphone into a “driving coach.” It’s designed to help new drivers master the rules of the road. It keeps track of the speed and disables all calls, texts, and notifications while the car is moving.
The app leverages GPS, real-time voice feedback, social media, and a jamming feature to disable calls and texts. It also alerts the driver to slow down when he or she is moving too fast. Both a free version and paid version of this app are available. The paid version is for those who want to capitalize on the app’s point system and turn their points into gift cards.
Cellcontrol
This app is built with business owners with a fleet of cars to manage in mind. It effectively minimizes the odds of distracted driving crashes among workers. The company cars are installed with a Drive Tag that then links to an app on the driver’s smartphone, thereby blocking texts, calls, and a variety of features like email, camera, and Google while the car is moving.
If the Drive Tag is removed or deactivated, the administrators will get an alert. A business owner will have peace of mind that his or her fleet is safeguarded from distracted driving.
LifeSaver
LifeSaver disables smartphone usage while driving, preventing incoming calls, updates, and other notifications from distracting the driver. The app, however, permits hands-free calls and usage of music as well as navigation apps, only if the driver activates them before he or she starts driving.
This app offers the driver an opportunity to win free rewards, such as iTunes credit, for safe driving habits. It’s a perfect choice for individual drivers who want to curb distracted driving behaviors or business owners who want to track their employee’s cell phone usage while driving.
DriveSafe.ly
This app verbally transposes incoming texts, emails, or names of callers without the driver having to touch the phone. Although the app is activated manually, it responds automatically to any texts, calls, or emails that come in while the car is in motion.
