A campaign launched in County Mayo, Ireland, is encouraging people to download an App which prevents drivers from receiving text messages while driving.
The ‘Safe Texting’ campaign is urging drivers to download ‘iZUP Lite’ – a text blocking solution which helps prevent drivers from becoming distracted by their mobile phones.
iZUP Lite uses GPS to determine if you are driving or not and contains a customizable auto-reply feature that immediately notifies callers that the recipient is driving and will respond to the text when the trip is complete. The App also blocks access to popular social networking and email applications.
The campaign targets all drivers, but pays particular attention to young drivers who are more easily distracted and susceptible to taking risks than older drivers.
Noel Gibbons, Mayo’s road safety officer, said: “We need to change the attitudes in our society towards texting and driving. Any distraction while driving is disturbing, including calls on mobile phones, but texting is really taking it to a much more serious level.”
For more information contact Noel Gibbons on 0877870055.
All those who think texting/talking on a mobile phone whilst driving is dangerous – TURN YOUR PHONE OFF WHEN YOU GET IN THE CAR! (not fuddy duddy Tina – common sense me thinks!) All those, who for reasons best known to themself, need someone or something to do this turning off task for them, then yep – it’s a good idea (DF – agreed). The next big thing is a phone app to remind people to tax, insure and MOT their car….why has that taken so long to think of?
p.s. Just off to put my bin down – my phone app reminded me!
Susan, Northamptonshire
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Congrats to Mayo Co. Council for always being so proactive in road safety matters. Too much technology affects the driver’s concentration. To drive safely, drivers need 100% concentration to the driving task. Let’s get back to basics and do what we’re supposed to do safely – or is in-car technology here to stay?
Tom Harrington LL B . Co. Kerry, Ireland
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The App can be downloaded free from:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.illume.izuplite.iZUPLite&hl=en
Noel Gibbons, Mayo CC
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The trouble is that according to MAC the app doesn’t exist, but the idea is good. Reg C, Ilkley
Reg Cranage, Ilkley West Yorks
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Great idea, although I also agree with Tina, it should be the driver’s responsibility to either turn off their phone, no call or text is that important that it’s worth a life. One other thought, what happens if you’re on a bus? Does the software know the difference?
Geoff Duxbury
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For some essential background reading I would encourage all road safety professionals to read the latest report on mobile phone use : A growing problem of driver distraction – published by the World Health Organisation last year. It’s in the RSGB knowledge centre under “Distractions” at:http://www.roadsafetyknowledgecentre.org.uk/issues/driver-distraction/knowledge/519.html
Robert Smith, Dorset
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This is by no way any criticism of this particular idea it is just that reading this has made me think that somewhere along the way I have gotten old and cynical. I appreciate that ‘technologies’ are here to stay and combating the road safety problems that they bring with them is vitally important. Am I being ‘out of touch’ when I see the simple solution as ‘just turn it off’?
Why does someone else have to intervene to stop a driver committing an illegal act? I remember observing one of the first Speed Awareness Courses when a participant said ‘you have to make me slow down’…meaning it was up to the road engineers and Police to make them go slower. I thought then ‘it is your foot on the accelerator who is in control?’
Driving is a privilege not a right and with it comes responsibility, the driver’s responsibility to abide by the rules. Let common sense prevail! Or am I so naïve and getting too fuddy-duddy?
Tina Housego, Bracknell
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What a good idea!
If the phone blocks texts and calls when it moves more than say 10mph, and then notifies after moving less than 10mph for say 1 minute, there would by no need to remember to switch on and off every journey.
Why has it taken so long to think of it?
Dave Finney – Slough
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