A few weeks ago, we were introduced to a new product that is getting some very well deserved media attention. The product is called Zoomsafer, and it's a mobile phone application that works to prevent (or at least discourage) texting and e-mailing while driving. The application installs on your mobile phone, where it detects motion. At this point, it automatically enables a message that will let your callers know that you are driving and temporarily prevents you from texting or e-mailing. The application can even update a user's Facebook and Twitter status.
Why is that important? Consider this: According to a 2006 study by NHTSA and Virgina Tech Transporation Institute: in 80% of crashes and in 65% of near crashes, the driver was distracted within three seconds of the incident. The leading cause of that distraction? Cell phones.
Links to that study and other NHTSA-funded research on driver distraction and fatigue are available here.
And if you're still not convinced that cell phone use (even hands-free) is dangerous, take a look at this article from the New York Times.
Given the size and scope of this problem, which certainly doesn't seem to have gotten better since 2006, Zoomsafer is very exciting piece of technology.
A product demo is available here, and you can see Zoomsafer's CEO Michael Riemer on Fox Business News here.
No comments:
Post a Comment