Don't Talk and Drive

From ABCNEWS:

Loose lips crash cars! That’s right. We’ve all heard the statistics about how dangerous it is to talk on the cell phone while driving. For example, you’re four TIMES as likely to be involved in a fatal accident if you’re talking on your cell while driving. Well, one company is trying to actually get people to stop talking and driving at the same time altogether. Here are the details, courtesy of ABC News.

David Teator, vice president of a Canadian software business called Aegis Mobility, became an advocate against what he calls “driving while distracted” after his 12-year-old son Joe was killed in 2004 by a driver who was talking on a cell phone. However, Teator knows it’s not easy. He says when he tried to cut back on his own habit, he found it difficult. Why? Because it’s against our nature to ignore a ringing phone. So, Aegis developed software called Drive Assist T. It detects whether a cell phone is in a moving car, and if so, your service provider is alerted and told to hold calls and text messages until the drive is over. Your callers get a message that says the person they’re calling – YOU - appears to be driving.

There is an option to leave an emergency voice mail if they can’t wait, which is put through immediately. Several states have introduced laws against talking on cell phones while driving, but they still allow the use of hands-free devices. Unfortunately, studies show that it’s the distraction of dialing and talking that’s dangerous – not that your hand is off the wheel. The Aegis software uses a GPS system to detect motion. So for it to work, the system has to be supported by a cellular carrier. Although Aegis doesn’t have a deal with any company yet, it hopes to be able to announce its availability early next year. So be on the lookout for it. In the meantime, don’t talk and drive. It’s easy to be immune to statistics, but what we’re really talking about is people dying. People like you and me. So save the calls and texts for when your vehicle is stopped.