We’re all in this together…
Distracted driving is the greatest cause of auto rate increases in the Southeast—and a rates increase is one of the best things that can happen out of a distracted driving accident. You could total your car, injure yourself or others, or worse—in fact, according to the DMV, distracted driving accounts for nine deaths every day.
Although anything that takes your attention from the road qualifies as distracted driving—eating, changing music, putting on makeup—one of the most common and most dangerous distractions is talking or texting while driving. We are trained to jump every time our cell phones make a noise, so it can be difficult to resist responding, even in situations where we know we shouldn’t. Luckily, there’s an app for that.
LifeSaver
This app’s GPS monitoring and reward system can not only help you break your distracted driving habit, it can provide family members of teens or elderly drivers with more peace of mind. LifeSaver blocks you from using your phone while driving, and then notifies loved ones after you arrive at your destination. There is also a dashboard where parents can set up rewards that their teens can earn with safe driving behavior.
Mojo
This free app automatically tracks the car trips you take, giving you points for every minute that you resist typing, swiping, or taking calls. At 300 points, you get to spin a prize wheel that gives you the chance to win gift cards to Starbucks, Amazon, or Dunkin’ Donuts. Another plus to Mojo is that you can invite friends to compete with you in a safest driving contest.
TrueMotion Family
This is another free app that tracks how safely you’re driving, giving you a trip score that rates your drive and points out moments when you were likely driving distracted. TrueMotion Family can also compare driving scores within families and show you real time locations for family members, as well as trip history—a big plus for parents of teen drivers.
AT&T Drive Mode
This free app will block calls and texts as soon as your car reaches 25 mph, and will send a customizable reply to incoming emails, calls, and texts, letting people know that you can’t respond because you’re driving. You can also create an allow list of five contact numbers that the app won’t block, and 911 can be contacted with one touch at all times.
Apple’s Do Not Disturb While Driving
This one isn’t an app, but rather a built-in iPhone feature that’s free, easy to use, and automated. All you have to do is go into settings and enable the feature, and your phone will silence all notifications, calls, and messages while you are driving, although it will allow calls to come through on hands-free calling. You can customize an automatic reply that will go out to anyone trying to reach you, and in cases of emergency, the person can reply “urgent” to the automated message and you will be notified. Otherwise, all messages and notifications will be hidden from you until you pull over or reach your destination. If you are a passenger in the vehicle, you can just tap “I’m Not Driving” and be free to use your phone.
We hope that you will take advantage of one of these five apps to ensure safer driving for you and your family. If you would like to learn more about how you can help keep your family safe and lower your auto insurance rates, please call us today at (706) 991-9832 or email us at info@rrinsurancegroup.com.
Donnan Oyler, President