New Anti-Texting Technology Works To Prevent Distracted Driving
When it comes to anti-texting technology for the driving demographic, few ideas have really taken a stronghold. One company, known as Aegis Mobility, was able to muster 10,000 subscribers to its GPS-enabled text-prevention service – which is still a drop in the bucket when compared with the 210 million licensed drivers in the United States.
Moreover, similar attempts by Sprint and AT&T have fallen somewhat flat with tech- and safety-savvy drivers – with both companies refusing to disclose enrollment details of their comparable anti-texting and driving applications.
Until recently, the technology available to parents and drivers wishing to curtail the behind-the-wheel messaging habit just wasn’t holding ground. Users found the GPS-linked technology to have too many bugs and loopholes – such as, what if a passenger wants to text and drive? Or, what if a person is on a bus and is suddenly blocked from their MMS or SMS service?
Enter: the Katasi. This upcoming device, designed to plug into a vehicle’s standard OBD 2 port, is capable of detecting when a vehicle is actually “on” and driving – thereby triggering a series of events between Katasi’s servers and the driver’s cell phone, preventing it from receiving text messages and other distracting notifications. As an answer to the traditional model which became engaged after the phone was detected to be traveling above 15 miles per hour, the Katasi takes a different approach by actually detecting when a driver is behind-the-wheel and actually operating a vehicle.
The device is slated to hit the market as early as Summer 2015, and has received significant financial backing from auto and tech power players like American Family Life Insurance and Sprint. The inventor of the Katasi, chemical engineer Scott Tibbitts, began this entrepreneurial journey following the untimely death of a colleague in a cell-phone related car accident caused by a distracted driver.
Victims of distracted driving send their own message
Texting and driving is one of the most dangerous behind-the-wheel behaviors, akin to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In a society constantly expected to immediately react, respond and reply, many drivers have yet to truly grasp the notion that “it can wait” – a simple but powerful message to all who are seemingly unable to put the phone down long enough ensure the safety of all other drivers and pedestrians.
At The Sanders Firm, we believe texting and driving is unacceptable, and will work to help any accident victim injured as a result of this careless and self-focused activity. If you were recently injured in a motor vehicle accident and believe the other driver may have been texting or surfing the web immediately preceding the crash, our New York car accident attorneys can work with the laws of discovery to pinpoint the driver’s last text message sent. If phone records reveal a flurry of text or data activity immediately prior to the accident, there is a strong likelihood that distracted driving contributed to your injuries – which could result in a sizable settlement offer or jury verdict in your favor.
Contact New York distracted driving accident lawyers today
If you would like to discuss the details filing a NY texting and driving accident lawsuit, please call The Sanders Firm at 888-711-2392 right away.
Our office proudly serves the New York City area, with principal offices in Manhattan, Long Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx. Resources
- New York Times, Trying to hit the brake on texting while driving, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/business/trying-to-hit-the-brake-on-texting-while-driving.html?_r=5
- Federal highway administration, Our nation’s highways 2011, https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/pubs/hf/pl11028/chapter4.cfm
