Adaptxt is designed to make the most of the text entry experience when your fingers touch the screen. But there’s one time when your fingers certainly shouldn’t be touching the screen and that’s when you’re driving. Now, two pre-launch companies are taking diverse approaches to helping people avoiding texting while driving.
SafeDrive is a Romanian startup that taps into the gamification movement, awarding users points for safe driving. The app will detect when a user is on the road, and whether or not they interact with the phone or send a text. Friends can compete to see who is the safest driver (at least when it comes to avoiding texting), and the points they accumulate can be used to win prizes from sponsors. Soon to launch on the App Store, the SafeDrive app will likely be free.
DRIVE by RISE Devices is a small device with a curved top that is meant to be mounted near the steering wheel. The driver can activate a companion app for tasks such as reading text messages with a simple hand movement; the app will work only if your hands are on the wheel. The project has raised about a fourth of its Kickstarter goal with about two weeks left.
Touch screens form the foundation of how modern smartphones work. They’re intuitive and engaging when we’re waiting in line, but problematic when driving. The two initiatives represent contrasting approaches to keeping us safe on the road, with the latter offering the promise of being able to keep in touch while doing so.
Image source: SafeDrive.