Phone apps that could save your life

The Queensland University of Technology has conducted a survey looking at 29 apps which restrict the ability to use a phone while driving.

The majority of apps such as AT&T’s “Drive Mode” work by effectively hiding or muting incoming text messages and phone calls from the driver.

A 2017 QUT study revealed half of the 443 drivers the university surveyed admitted to using their handheld mobile phone to text or browse the internet as a daily habit.

Some apps will send an automatic reply, others will also notify parents of young drivers turning off or disabling the app – but many are activated automatically when the vehicle begins moving.

US technology giant AT&T offers the “Drive Mode” app for free and seamlessly activates at 24km/h and prevents being distracted by blocking incoming communications from the driver, while still allowing access to music and navigation.

Study leader Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios says many of the apps are designed on the premise that drivers can’t resist the temptation.

“There has been a lot of research that backs that up and shows drivers lack the willpower to ignore their phones,” he says.

“But there hasn’t been any research to analyse the variety of apps that are now available and how they try to combat the problem, Oviedo-Trespalacios explains.

“We found most of the apps on the market focus on blocking specific phone functions such as texting or calling, while still letting drivers access music apps or GPS functions,” he continues.

However, this leads to a psychological problem in getting people to download and use the app in the first place.

“Unfortunately, simply blocking phone functions may not be attractive to drivers who view their phone as a necessity and are unlikely to use a voluntary app while driving,” Oviedo-Trespalacios says.

The QUT study says a more effective approach is to simplify the phone functions and tasks made available to the driver, making them more “compatible”.

Oviedo-Trespalacios says designing the apps to use voice commands instead of the onus being on drivers to look away from the road, would work better, and is the main cause of risk while driving.
“The apps available can help if drivers are willing and able to use them, but we need more research on the potential of safety apps to one day play a role in car system technologies that prevent drivers being distracted by their phones,” he explains.
“For example, it may be that phone manufacturers in the future are required to install an app on all their phones that ‘talks’ to car systems and automatically shuts off some functions while the car is in motion,” Oviedo-Trespalacios recommends.

QUT credits Apple’s “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature, Android Auto which ergonomically mirrors phone functions through vehicles offering the software, and Pokemon Go developers who realised after the game’s release that users were addicted to using the app while driving, and released an update that disabled the game when the phone detects speeds over 48km/h.