I’ve thought for quite some time that it would be really easy to prevent accidents caused by cell phone use while driving with the installation of a simply app. We’ll, it seems that I’m not alone in my thinking because several application developers have recently stepped up to the plate and released applications that can do just that.
I personally think that all cell phones should come with an app like this pre-installed and that cell phone manufactures should disable the ability to uninstall these driving safety applications.
I’m also smart enough to realize that any legislation that might make this idea a reality is a long way off.
The good news is that parents and business owners can still make use of this kind of software to prevent their teen drivers and mobile work force from texting or calling while they are behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
Follow along with me while I discuss several great apps that are currently available to the public that are designed to prevent dangerous use of cell phones while driving.
This is an app for phones that run on the Google Android OS. It’s a simple, no frills app that disables the audio notification of incoming text messages when the phone is moving at a certain rate of speed. Since the users of this app won’t be notified that a text message has arrived, they won’t be tempted to try and read or send SMS texts while driving.
The app uses the GPS receiver in the phone to calculate how fast the vehicle is traveling. One feature that I especially like is that the app has the ability to automatically reply to whoever may send a text message with a customized message that says something like, “Sorry but I’m driving right now which means I’m unable to receive any text messages at the moment. I’ll get back with you later when I’m not driving”.
The cost of this app is only $1.04 and it’s available by clicking here: Get WiseDrive From The Android Market
This is an app that carries more of a bite than WiseDrive. This app is designed to prevent all text messages, phone calls, and even emails when the phone is moving at a certain speed. I like the fact that 911 access remains unaffected at all times so if you’re driving and you need to get in touch with emergency personnel, this app won’t block your ability to do so.
Like WiseDrive, this app uses GPS technology to calculate the speed that the phone is traveling at. When a predetermined speed is achieved, all communications are disabled for the entire time the phone is traveling at that speed. When the app is installed and running on a particular phone, instead of seeing your regular wallpaper on your phone, you will see the iZUP screen displayed which reminds you not to try and use your phone while you’re driving. There is actually a green button that is displayed in the upper right hand corner of the screen that automatically changes to red when the phone app is actively blocking communications from the device.
One feature that I really like about this app is that parents are the administrator of the iZUP account and they can program certain numbers like their own as “authorized numbers”. Any numbers in the “authorized numbers” list will always be able to get through regardless of what speed the phone might be traveling at.
Another very cool feature is a feature called “Tamper Alert”. This feature is designed to send a text message to the account holder that notifies them that someone is attempting to disable or uninstall the app. I think this is very smart thinking on behalf of the software designer.
After the phone is moving at a slow enough rate of speed, the phone calls, text messages, and emails that were blocked will then automatically come through. They won’t be missed because the iZUP system stores them up and delivers them when it is safe to do so.
This app works on a wide variety of phones and wireless carriers. I find it a bit amusing that despite the name “i” ZIP, the app doesn’t appear to currently work on iPhones.
If you would like to try this app, it will cost you $2.95 monthly / $19.95 annually for a single user or $5.95 monthly / $59.95 annually for a family plan. You can get the app here: Download iZUP
This is an app that will work with all wireless carriers. It currently works one several BlackBerry phones, several HTC phones, several Samsung phones, some Droid phones, and one Sanyo phone. It will, however, soon be available for the iPhone 4, Palm Pre, and Windows Mobile 7 phones.
Of course, this app is capable of blocking communications from a mobile phone when the phone is moving at a certain velocity. There is even a feature that parent’s can enable that will allow passengers to operate their phone. I’m not exactly sure how the app would know whether you are sitting in the driver’s seat or the passenger seat so if you ask me, this feature shouldn’t be activated. I wasn’t able to find any more details about this feature on the tXtBlocker website.
What I like most about this app is the ability to disable the phone’s ability to make or receive calls, texts, and emails based on location in addition to traveling speed. Parents can use this feature to prevent their children from texting or calling on their phone during school hours when the GPS receiver in the phone detects that the phone is on school grounds.
This app also features GPS location detection so you can use it to find out exactly where your children are at any time from the tXtBlocker online dashboard.
If you would like to try this service, it’s going to cost you $6.99 a month for a single user account or $9.99 a month for a family plan account. That’s a bit more than iZUP but it seems to be equipped with a few more features. You can sign up for the service and download the app here: Download tXtBlocker Here
This app is marketed by a company called ZoomSafer and it’s geared more towards preventing a businesses mobile workforce from engaging in unsafe cell phone use while workers are on the clock and driving company vehicles. It has the ability to prevent calls, text, emails, and the use of apps while driving. It’s built to allow one or more administrators to log in and change settings or permissions on a phone by phone basis.
One of the things I really like about this app is that there are three “triggers” that can activate the app and prevent the unsafe use of a cell phone while driving. They are “telematics” which is a simple device that vehicles can be equipped with that detects when the phone is in a company vehicle. It then sends a message to the Fleet Safer Mobile service which will automatically put the phone into safe mode to prevent unsafe driving. The second trigger is “Bluetooth”. With this feature enabled, the software will recognize a signal from the Bluetooth car kit and this will automatically put the phone into safe mode. The third trigger is “GPS”. Whenever the app is installed and running on the phone, it will utilize the GPS capabilities of the phone to automatically put the phone in safe mode whenever the phone is traveling in excess of 15 miles per hour.
I’ve contacted the company and requested pricing details for this app. In the meantime, If you would like to try the single user consumer version, you can try it for free for seven days by clicking here: Try MyZoomSafer Free For Seven Days
I have to admit that I like this app just because it has the coolest name of those that I’ve investigated. This app, like the name implies, is designed to prevent texting while driving. The app sits quietly in the background of the phone’s memory and waits until it senses that the phone is moving faster than 10 MPH. At this point, it blocks all incoming and outgoing text messages. When the phone’s velocity slows below the 10 MPH threshold, the app automatically returns the ability of the phone to send and receive text messages.
Unfortunately, this app only works on Google Android powered mobile devices at the time this article was written. The developers of this app do state that they are working to make it available on other platforms.
One of my favorite features of this app is the ability of a passenger to activate a feature that automatically sends a request to the account administrator. This request basically says, “Hey, I’m a passenger, is it okay to use my phone”. If the administrator grants permission, with a click of a button, they can send the “allow” command which will enable full use of the phone for the next four hours even if the phone is in a moving vehicle.
Another cool feature is that if teen drivers attempt to disable or uninstall the app, a message will automatically be sent to their parents notifying them that the app has been disabled.
If you would like to give this app a try, you’ll need to hand over a one time payment of $29.99. Once you have purchased the app, there are no monthly access fees. You can download the app by clicking here: Download Textecution? Here Now
There, you have it. Reviews on five good apps that can effectively block the use of cell phones when a person is driving a motor vehicle. Be sure and check back soon because I’ll be adding more and more reviews of similar programs to this article in the weeks and months to come.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article, please do me a small favor and tell your friends about it. I’m sure they’ll appreciate the fact that you cared enough about the safety of their teen drivers to share this article with them. Just think, telling your friends about this article may result in them installing text blocking apps on their teen driver’s phones which may actually prevent them from being involved in a tragic car accident. The easiest way to share this article is to simply click on the “Facebook Like” button which I’ve positioned below the title of this article.
If you feel like sticking around a bit longer and read some more interesting articles, I’d like to suggest that you have a peek at my articles entitled Track A Cell Phone Without Installing Software, Track Down A Cell Phone Location For Free, and What is a Data Plan For Cell Phones.
These are just a few of the articles that I think you might be interested in reading. You can find a full list of all of the articles that I’ve published on my website by clicking on the button at the top of your screen labeled “List of Articles”.
Author Information: Justin Kaseni makes his living testing and reviewing applications designed for smartphones. He is particularly interested in the development of apps that merge GPS tracking with social networking. Read more about the Justin by Clicking Here.
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