New Technology Aims to Put an End to Texting and Driving
Everyone knows they should not text and drive, yet most people do it anyway. With new technology like voice text and Siri, it has become easier and easier for drivers to become distracted while driving. To combat this growing problem, chemical engineer, Scott Tibbitts, developed a new technology to stop the distractions.
Tibbitts, who used to work with NASA and motor companies, figured out a way to block calls and texts to drivers. With the help of American Family Insurance and Sprint, Mr. Tibbitts’ company, Katasi, was able to develop the anti-texting technology. The technology uses a little black box that comes standard in most car models made after 1996. The little black box uses a technology called telematics. Telematics is the technology of sending, receiving and storing information via telecommunication devices in conjunction with affecting control on remote objects. This technology allows the car to send and receive information. The way the anti-texting technology works is, the telematics box sends a wireless message that the car is moving. The phone sends its own message about its location. Both sets of information are sent to Katasi’s servers. Then, an algorithm weighs the incoming data with other information, like the location of the phones belonging to all the people who drive the car and the starting point of the trip.
After Katasi teamed up with Sprint the technology was thought to be released by summer but other issues came along. The issue of marketing arose. Other companies have similar technology that prevents drivers from texting but it is not popular amongst them. AT&T has reported that its technology has been used millions of times but will not say if it the users are frequent. Other companies such as Sprint and Verizon Wireless have similar less successful technologies. The company also had to think of who would buy this. Before Sprint invested they wanted to know how much capital the service would bring in and what legal liability would be involved. With all of these issues the technology has been stalled, maybe indefinitely.
To learn more about texting and driving you can visit textinganddrivingsafety.com. The New York Times also has a game that simulates texting and driving.
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