Distracted driving cost 3,300 lives in 2011, one of the top reported distractions is cell phone use. But there’s a new mobile app to help keep your eyes on the road and off the phone.
It’s called OFF Mode and mobile app creator Nick Bovis hopes it will drastically decrease the 387,000 distracted driving-related accidents reported in 2011.
When put in off mode, all calls, text messages and e-mails are blocked from the screen. Users still receive incoming messages, but without the distracting notifications.
The app sends automated “I’m unavailable or busy” responses to those trying to reach them. Recent legislation proposed in New Jersey would allow police accessibility to cell phone records if they suspect mobile phone use was a factor before or during driving accidents.
If questioned by authorities, OFF Mode app can be a tool to prove the absence of cell phone activity while driving. If passed, this legislation would be the first of its kind in the U.S.
Lyssa Hansen, Health Matters