Roger D. "Skip" Slates Technology and Science Law Blog on Lawyers.com

Companies Invest in Software to Prevent Texting, Browsing While Driving

Thursday, July 22, 2010 by Roger D. "Skip" Slates

California continues to have a problem with motorists using hand-held cell phones and texting while driving. This is in spite of bans on both practices in the state. These dangerous behaviors have been a concern to Los Angeles personal injury lawyers. Every year, an estimated 6,000 people across the US are killed in accidents caused by distracted driving, many of them involving the use of cell phones.

Preventing such behavior is the main focus of a software program that has been developed by two companies. The program was developed by two companies called Managed Mobility and WebSafety Inc. The software called Cell Safety was first developed in order to combat the problem of teenagers using cell phones while driving. Later, the company realized that there would be huge demand from companies that would want to avoid liability costs if one of their drivers was involved in an accident linked to cell phone use.

Last year, the federal government banned federal employees from using government-issued cell phones and text messaging devices while driving government vehicles. However, as any Los Angeles car accident attorney will tell you, banning a practice is one thing, and ensuring that it is enforced and implemented, is quite another. There is no way that companies can tell for sure that their employees are abstaining from cell phone use and texting at the wheel.

This program provides these companies some peace of mind. The program uses the GPS on your phone to determine whether your car is moving. If the car is moving, the application blocks the phone's ability to use text messaging functions or surf the Internet. The function kicks in if the car is going at faster than 5 to 10 miles an hour.

It would be great if every motorist in Los Angeles could simply switch off his or her cell phone while driving, because it's the safe and smart thing to do. Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. Software like this can be a great help, not just for individuals wanting to cut out distractions while driving, but also for corporations and companies who want to ensure that their employees are staying safe while on work-related travel.

Posted at 19:22 PM

Topic: Technology and Science