Fighting Distracted Driving – There’s an App for That

A Florida software developer, and father of two teenagers, has developed an application to help stop texting while driving. The software uses the phone’s GPS system to detect when it is moving faster than 10 miles per hour and shuts the phone off. Once motion has stopped, such as at a stoplight, the phone will work as usual. The goal: to reduce traffic accidents, car crashes, and injuries to teenagers and anyone else prone to text-and-drive.
Distracted driving, specifically texting on your mobile phone while driving, is a safety issue that has garnered increased interest over the last several years. Because the practice is a proven public safety issue, laws prohibiting texting while driving have been passed in 34 states. Offenses can trigger fines and/or points against the offender’s driving record. Still, the number of drivers who continue to text while driving remains high.

A Florida software developer, and father of two teenagers, has developed an application to help stop texting while driving. “You are fighting human nature”, says app developer George Distler. “The phone is making a noise and you want to see who is tr

ying to contact you.” His new app is called “NOTXT”. The software uses the phone’s GPS system to detect when it is moving faster than 10 miles per hour and shuts the phone off. Once motion has stopped, such as at a stoplight, the phone will work as usual.

The NOTXT app has already been downloaded by at least 12,000 people in 31 countries. It currently works for Blackberry and Android platforms. Mr. Distler plans to expand to the Iphone soon. The app is free, but a code is needed to activate the application. Further information is available at www.notxtndrive.org.