Saving Your Battery

"The modern day mobile phone is not just a phone anymore. The modern day mobile phone is an essential service provider to so many of our daily needs. It serves many functions formerly reserved for desktops, laptops, mp3 players, video and still cameras, calendars, and word processors; not to mention the endless new services that we now take for granted with widgets, add-ons, and apps. With more than a million apps now available for Smart Phones, something needs to be watching your battery when you're not.”

The above paragraph is an example of our world’s technological thirst. Although many of us don’t realize it, everything we use our phones or devices for sucks energy from the battery, even if the phone is sitting idle in your pocket or bag. We also hear every day how a simple phone call or text can change a person’s life. Most media today travels through handheld devices, so whether it’s news about a favorite sports team, an election, or simply the news that dinner is ready, the texts and calls we get everyday are important. Without them, society as well as individuals would be at a loss. You never know what you’re missing when your phone is dead.

Battery-Alert, the new app from Iconosys Inc., keeps track of your phone’s battery life so you don’t have to. For the time being, it is available exclusively for the Android and can be purchased at Battery-Alert.com. It alerts you when your phone’s battery reaches a critical level and keeps you up to date on the life of the battery. It reminds you to plug your phone in before it dies, allowing you to always stay in the loop. Because...who knows what could happen when you’re not?

 

NINE WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN FROM

ONLINE PREDATORS AND “CYBERBULLIES”

LAGUNA HILLS, CA, August 17, 2010 – A leading technology executive, who has developed innovative Smartphone safety apps for parents and kids, is offering back-to-school advice to avoid the dangerous and growing Smartphone behavior commonly known as “Cyberbullying.”

Iconosys CEO and founder Wayne Irving II, a father of four, will shortly be unveiling an innovative app that allows parents to monitor the whereabouts of their children and can also weed out texts or phone calls from these Cyber-predators. Other Smartphone safety apps developed by Iconosys include the innovative SMS Replier, a product that curbs another potentially dangerous and growing social dilemma (banned in over 30 states), Texting-While-Driving. Mr. Irving’s safety tips are as follows:

1) Set family guidelines for Internet/phone use (have an organized meeting, if necessary)

2) Educate children about the risks, legalities and repercussions of online activities

3) Remind children that it is not ok to give personal information to anyone you don’t trust

4) Let them know that it is highly dangerous if they open or read messages from people they do not know; ignore them or show them to mom or dad

5) Emails and text messages promising ‘the sky’ should not be taken seriously and kids should know that they are a potential signal from someone who wants to put a virus on their PC or phone and make it break and never work again.

6) Let them know it is ok to ignore/block/delete anyone who makes you feel weird or uncomfortable

7) Regularly change your child’s email/username/cell phone number/account information/passwords (at least until they are of college age).

8) Let children know that it is ok to talk to you about contact from someone they may have thought they trusted and realize they now don’t.  If not you, who in the family are they comfortable to discuss this with?

9) Install a product on your child’s phone (app coming soon from Iconosys) so you can more closely monitor your child’s safety

For further information about Iconosys, Inc. and its products or for interviews with CEO Wayne Irving II, please contact Adam Mazur at 212-843-8073 or amazur@rubensteinpr.com. 

High-resolution images available upon request. 

Follow SMS Replier™ on twitter: @smsreplier.

About Iconosys, Inc.

Iconosys, Inc. is developing a series of technologies designed to make mobile applications better, faster, easier, and ultimately safer to use. Iconosys' flagship product, SMS Replier™, is a revolutionary mobile phone application designed to couple many convenience services with addressing the growing problem of communicating safely while driving a car, truck, or motorcycle.

Iconosys' CEO Wayne Irving II, a pioneer in next-generation telecom concepts, has led the drive to take advantage of GPS and other onboard motion technologies to build lifesaving and life-enhancing products, and to create new and better tools for wireless platforms and operating systems.

Iconosys proprietary technology, developed with support from Motorola, is a complex series of algorithms and readings from the technology running on today’s Smartphones; this includes, without limitation, GPS and other motion sensoring, coordinated with Google mapping to provide an accurate and responsive background service to  most, if not all, of the upcoming Iconosys technology releases.

Each mobile app from Iconosys including SMS Replier are enhanced with Iconosys' DriveReply™ technology which our testing shows is up to 90% more efficient in battery consumption, a key differentiator from other producers of  GPS dependent Smartphone applications. 

For more information, including demonstration videos, on Iconosys, Inc, please visit: http://www.iconosys.com or http://www.smsreplier.com.  

Nine Ways To Protect Your Children From Online Predators and "Cyberbullies"

For Back-To-School Season, Smartphone App Developer Offers Advice To Parents

About Dangerous & Growing, National Social Epidemic

LAGUNA HILLS, CA, August 17, 2010 – A leading technology executive, who has developed innovative Smartphone safety apps for parents and kids, is offering back-to-school advice to avoid the dangerous and growing Smartphone behavior commonly known as “Cyberbullying.”

Iconosys CEO and founder Wayne Irving II, a father of four, will shortly be unveiling an innovative app that allows parents to monitor the whereabouts of their children and can also weed out texts or phone calls from these Cyber-predators. Other Smartphone safety apps developed by Iconosys include the innovative SMS Replier, a product that curbs another potentially dangerous and growing social dilemma (banned in over 30 states), Texting-While-Driving. Mr. Irving’s safety tips are as follows:

1) Set family guidelines for Internet/phone use (have an organized meeting, if necessary)

2) Educate children about the risks, legalities and repercussions of online activities

3) Remind children that it is not ok to give personal information to anyone you don’t trust

4) Let them know that it is highly dangerous if they open or read messages from people they do not know; ignore them or show them to mom or dad

5) Emails and text messages promising ‘the sky’ should not be taken seriously and kids should know that they are a potential signal from someone who wants to put a virus on their PC or phone and make it break and never work again.

6) Let them know it is ok to ignore/block/delete anyone who makes you feel weird or uncomfortable

7) Regularly change your child’s email/username/cell phone number/account information/passwords (at least until they are of college age).

8) Let children know that it is ok to talk to you about contact from someone they may have thought they trusted and realize they now don’t.  If not you, who in the family are they comfortable to discuss this with?

9) Install a product on your child’s phone (app coming soon from Iconosys) so you can more closely monitor your child’s safety

For further information about Iconosys, Inc. and its products or for interviews with CEO Wayne Irving II, please contact Adam Mazur at 212-843-8073 or amazur@rubensteinpr.com. 

High-resolution images available upon request. 

Follow SMS Replier™ on twitter: @smsreplier.

About Iconosys, Inc.

Iconosys, Inc. is developing a series of technologies designed to make mobile applications better, faster, easier, and ultimately safer to use. Iconosys' flagship product, SMS Replier™, is a revolutionary mobile phone application designed to couple many convenience services with addressing the growing problem of communicating safely while driving a car, truck, or motorcycle.

Iconosys' CEO Wayne Irving II, a pioneer in next-generation telecom concepts, has led the drive to take advantage of GPS and other onboard motion technologies to build lifesaving and life-enhancing products, and to create new and better tools for wireless platforms and operating systems.

Iconosys proprietary technology, developed with support from Motorola, is a complex series of algorithms and readings from the technology running on today’s Smartphones; this includes, without limitation, GPS and other motion sensoring, coordinated with Google mapping to provide an accurate and responsive background service to  most, if not all, of the upcoming Iconosys technology releases.

Each mobile app from Iconosys including SMS Replier are enhanced with Iconosys' DriveReply™ technology which our testing shows is up to 90% more efficient in battery consumption, a key differentiator from other producers of  GPS dependent Smartphone applications. 

For more information, including demonstration videos, on Iconosys, Inc, please visit: http://www.iconosys.com or http://www.smsreplier.com.  

SMSReplier Called a Back-to-School Essential!

"They can study, hold an after-school job, and keep a group of friends, but they still may need a little help from their parents in finding (and paying for) the best gear for back-to-school. Forget those boring backpacks and same ol' supplies. We've got an eye for the newest and best tech on the market for teenagers, and this guide has six amazing products and services for their class time and anytime!

SMS Replier with Drive Reply
Free for Lite Version, $19.95 for Pro Version

Does the thought of your teen on the road leave you a bit... concerned? If you've caught your child texting while driving (or being tempted to check messages), this easy fix may be for you. A simple app for Blackberry, Android, and Windows Mobile (an iPhone version will be released later this summer), the SMS Replier may literally save a life. At speeds of 15 MPH or greater, the Drive Reply feature automatically engages and responds to all incoming text messages with a customizable auto-reply, letting everyone know that driving safely comes first! All SMS communication can be put on hold until your teen arrives safely at their driving destination."

Written by Linsey Knerl for My Life Scoop, where the article can be found here.

Iconosys Launches Revolutionary Phone App

Mobile application developer Iconosys has launched a revolutionary SMS Replier Pro app for smartphones which feature the company’s proprietary DriveReply technology.

SMS Replier is a conscientious solution to the dangerous texting-while-driving social epidemic. Driver safety is very critical for families who will be travelling on the nation’s roadways and with the economy still in the dumps, more families have been opting to drive to their destination rather than fly to their destinations.

SMS Replier Pro enhances the existing and exponentially growing international SMS network, by joining it with the latest services which are readily available on the most popular Smartphone platforms; like real time traffic, mapping and GPS. SMS Replier Pro can be downloaded by users on their Smartphone through the company’s website www.smsreplier.com or by visiting the Android (News - Alert)marketplace or the marketplace for their Smartphone platform. SMS Replier Pro is currently available for Android phones like HTC Eris, Cliq, Droid Incredible, Motorola Droid, Devour, Samsung (News - Alert) M900, G1, Hero, Desire, T-mobile myTouch 3G, Sprint Samsung Moment, Zepplin, and the MB 300, whereas the versions of the same app for Windows Mobile and BlackBerry will be released during the week. AniPhone (News - Alert)-compatible version will be released shortly, by mid-summer.

When enabled, the SMS Replier Pro with DriveReply automatically sends an immediate response to inbound calls and text messages independently, allowing the driver to concentrate on the driving and not on the phone. A number of value added and rich features are available on the SMS Replier Pro, like unlimited custom messages, editable pre-loaded default messages, noreply/blocklist, white list enhancements, spam and shortcode filtering, and last but not the lease even facilitating a unique differentiation between callers and texters.

When driving, the smart technology in SMS Replier triggers the automatic text message response whenever a call or text is received by the driver; the default reply says “I’m Driving, I’ll call or text you back as soon as I arrive at my destination.”

SMS Replier Pro is available with up to 26 pre-set convenience messages with timers which can be used in a variety of situations, enabling users to choose between automatically select easy pre-loaded text message responses, or creating practically unlimited number of complete customizable responses as well.

Written by Calvin Azuri for TMCnet.com 

Link to this article

Edited by Brandon S. for Blogger.

SMS Replier Pro Thwarts Texting and Calling While Driving

source: blogs.edmunds.com, 8/6/10

There's no shortage of apps designed to thwart texting while driving (TWD), and SMS Replier Pro from Iconosys joins their ranks for those with Android devices. When enabled, SMS Replier Pro uses a phone's built-in GPS function to detect when a phone inside a car is traveling above 15 mph and automatically sends a default text reply that reads, "I'm driving. I"ll call or text you back as soon as I come to my destination," when a text or call comes in.


The SMS Replier Pro app is only available for Android phones and sells for $9.95 either on the developer's website or via the Android Market. Iconosys claims that the app will be available for BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones by next week, and for iPhones shortly afterward. While the app is primarily designed to address TWD, it can also be used for times when an owner doesn't want to be disturbed, such as at the movies or in a meeting. And while the app automatically kicks in on the go, in static situations it can be set to auto-respond.

In addition to the default driving reply, there are 20 other preset replies, such as "in class, "in meeting" or "busy." Users can also enter their own customized messages, such as "AFK" ("away from keyboard" in text-speak). Of course, you don't need an app to avoid texting while driving. You can choose to turn off your phone or ignore it while behind the wheel for free.
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SMSReplier (www.smsreplier.com) is a mobile application developed by Iconosys Inc. (www.iconosys.com) Let's help to stop texting while driving, one driver at a time!

Link to article.

Texts Be Gone

source: nytimes.com, 8/9/10

There are a number of text-blocking smartphone applications available that prevent the sending and receiving of texts in inappropriate situations, such as driving or attending class. Those products include tXtBlocker and ZoomSafer, among others.

Recently I’ve been looking at a new one: SMS Replier, from Iconysys. The app, available for Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones, acts like an e-mail automated response; when someone sends a text to a phone with SMSReplier, the sender receives an automated message indicating that the receiver cannot respond at the moment.

SMS Replier is highly customizable. You can choose from among a wide variety of preloaded responses, or create your own. You can personalize each response and add the sender’s name, if it’s in your address book. The program can also distinguish between texts and voice calls; if someone phones you and SMSReplier is activated, they will receive a text message stating that the receiver will call, as opposed to text, later.

The $19.95 app, which includes a year of free updates, also automatically turns on when driving, and stays on when you stop at red lights or stop signs. If you are simply a passenger, you can turn SMS Replier off, but as a safety precaution  it will automatically turn on again in 150 minutes. An algorithm, which is still under development, can also distinguish whether you are driving a car or simply riding in a train or bus. While I couldn’t test this feature (there are no trains where I live and scat buses), the app’s developer, Wayne Irving, said it will be highly accurate when available in a few weeks.

Other features include the ability to block responses to certain individuals, for example, a spouse who is tired of receiving automated messages every time you are in a meeting. Conversely, you can also create a list of five individuals whose texts will always get through, ensuring that you will never miss a message from your child — unless you have more than five children.

In testing, the app worked exactly as described. While the company sent along instructions, I ignored them and figured out the program myself, which proved to be a simple task.

SMS Replier is a useful, low-cost way to avoid the temptation to look at your smartphone whenever you hear that seductive “new text” tone — and possibly save your life in the process.




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SMSReplier (www.smsreplier.com) is a mobile application developed by Iconosys Inc. (www.iconosys.com) Everyday it helps to save lives, don't you think it is time you start saving some?




Link to this article.

SMSReplier Update 3.2 Online

What was once an already outstanding product has gotten a small—but significant—upgrade. This is an application I have praised before on this site: SMSReplier Pro. With the new update, version 3.2, comes a new home screen for the app when you’re driving. While pictures speak louder than words (which is why the image is posted for your viewing to the left), I can only say that what seems like such a simple change is in fact quite a renovation.

When you look at how a simple text can be the difference between a dangerous and safe driving experience, or in some cases, life or death, it makes sense why a main screen change to improve safety is noteworthy. Not only does it simply improve the options for the user, it makes the entire screen easier to see and use. I’m not the only one who feels this way either; respectable sources such as Hardware Geeks claim that “DriveReply is essential." Thanks to Iconosys for the new upgrade and keep up the good work! You’re saving lives with every new development.

For more information, visit Iconosys.com and SMSReplier.com

-Written by: Brandon S.
-Edited by: James M.

SMSReplier Now for Blackberry!

BlackBerry just got better with the new addition of the SMS Replier application (www.smsreplier.com). The BlackBerry has now followed the Android and Windows Mobile phones in getting this application. This application, which is developed by Iconosys Inc. (www.iconosys.com), is revolutionary in how it helps drivers to not send that text message which could be deadly. The critics are overjoyed with this application because of its simplicity and the functionality that it brings to whichever mobile device that it is installed on. SMS Replier has both customizable and default messages which you can use to set while you are away. The app also comes with DriveReply™, which uses the phone’s built in GPS to know if you are driving that way it can send a message saying that you are driving. With many of the states banning texting and driving (and the remaining on their way to banning the activity), companies are developing applications to help drivers. Iconosys is leading the industry, with their mobile applications, to protect both the drivers and bystanders who walk along the street.

SMS Replier is well worth the money it costs to buy the application. The application is ready to download for $19.95 at the BlackBerry App World. Videos will be available to learn how to download, install, and use on the SMS Replier Youtube channel (www.youtube.com/SMSReplier).

SMS Replier is updated regularly with updates which make both the application easier and better to use. Just recently the application was updated so that it uses less of the battery while it is running. Iconosys are always thinking about the user, and they aim to satisfy. SMS Replier is proof of this. It is a necessity to have on your mobile devices and should be installed on every phone.

Written by Nick R.

Edited by Brandon S.

Technology That Makes Your Smart Phone...Smarter

As the advancements in technology continue, the hazards that accompany them become more prevalent. The turn of the 21^st century marked the era of instant communication. Cell phones have become a commodity, and texting a tool. As great as this may seem, the dangers that they entail are now being recognized.  In recent studies, the statistics show that 21% of teens that have been involved in a car accident were distracted by their phones.

So, why don’t the lawmakers do something about it?

They have, but regardless of the many laws banning cell phone use while driving, and the strict compliance from the police; the accidents from texting and driving continue to pile up. 

Why?

 The results of a recent study show that 52% of teen drivers answer cell phone calls and 34% admit to text messaging while driving. Realizing that laws alone cannot cap the death toll caused by texting and driving, Wayne Irving, CEO of Iconosys, took matters into his own hands by creating an app for one’s phone that limits its distracting potential while one is driving. This app, SMS Replier, is a revolution in the cell phone industry, demonstrating the full potential of a smart phone. This product, available for the Blackberry, Android, Droid X, Windows mobile, and most other smart phones, does not “brick” the phone, like many of the other competing products. Instead, SMS Replier automatically sends a response set by the user to anyone who texts or calls a phone when the app is activated. This is an ingenious solution to the easily avoidable problem of texting and driving.

For more information about SMS Replier and other available features visit smsreplier.com or  Iconosys.com. For news and stories about texting and driving visit textkills.com.

Written by: Philip M.

Edited by: Brandon S.

Ignorance? (my personal reflection on Jennifer Flockhart's story)

                It’s funny how fast things can change. Blink and you’ll miss it. Or in Jennifer Flockhart’s case, send a text message. The Iowa teen was killed in a car accident when she sent a text message that caused her to drive into a ditch. She was only 17. I am 17. A few weeks ago, I was speeding on the freeway; texting like it was going out of style. I was ignorant and irresponsible. I could've ended up like the young Ms. Flockhart.  This seems to be one of those issues where the phrase “ignorance is bliss” comes to mind. People figure if they don’t know the dangers of texting and driving, they are immune. I, however, strongly disagree with the phrase “ignorance is bliss”.  In this case, it is dangerous. After doing a little digging, I quickly realized...

Auto-Reply to Texts So You Can Drive Safely!

SMS Replier Pro is a must in today’s world of hundreds of crashes caused each day because of texting and driving. It is a simple and easy to use mobile application which allows the user to not feel the need to respond back to a text message in the case they are either busy or cannot respond back for whatever reason.


Onboard, built in is Iconosys proprietary driving recognition technology known as DriveReply™. DriveReply™ makes driving safer for everyone, because DriveReply™ recognizes when your car is moving and in response it will send out an "away" text message so that the driver doesn’t have to.

SMS Replier is fully customizable, allowing for personalization of messages both while driving and in 52 or more other instances where the user would need or benefit from an "away" type message. Personalization is what separates SMSReplier w/DriveReply™ from any competitive product.

There are 52 pre-set, built in, changeable/customizable messages and the user has the ability to add an unlimited amount of custom "away" type messages for any conceivable reason or purpose. The No-Reply List is a nice feature as well; this allows you to choose who the away messages are not sent out to.

The No-Reply is a function that prevents the app from sending a auto-reply or "away" type message to.

Why is No-Reply Important?

Are there people in your life that if you contact in any shape or manner, they would receive that as an invitation to continue to contact you. Example, harassment, ex-wife, ex-spouse, ex-stalker, ex-friend, etc.

The SMS Replier is a necessary application for your mobile device. You never know when a car will dart out in front of you or if something will fall off of a truck. You never know what is happening in front of you if you are looking down at your phone instead of at the road. Your vehicle is three to seven-thousand pounds and it can kill when not stopped.

Last seconds are deadly. Recent statistics shows that 28 percent of car crashes are now caused because one of the drivers was either texting or talking on the phone. Luckily, there are companies out there such as Iconosys, the creators of SMS Replier Pro, who are putting their efforts into stopping texting and driving.

Download SMSReplier at SMSReplier.com

by: Nick R.

edited by: Textkills.com

Have Some Common Sense- Texting While Driving

Basic common sense states that given two different activities of varying danger and the same end product, a person will take the safer route to reach the destination. This can be seen with many examples, such as riding a motorcycle with or without a helmet; most people would choose the safe option, of foregoing looks and wearing a helmet that could possibly save their life. However, when it comes to driving, people seemingly forget all about this principle. A statistic recently released from a joint survey between AAA and Seventeen Magazine in 2007 showed that 61% of teens admit to dangerous driving habits, and of that, 46% will admit to texting frequently while driving.

This begs the question, why?

If people have learned to take the safer road, why do people still insist on endangering not only themselves, but others as well, on the road with texting while driving? The answer is simple: we live in a fast-paced technological society, where responses are expected near instantaneously. When we’re driving, we feel the need to respond to whoever tries to contact us to keep up with the social norm, no matter how much we may be putting ourselves into harm’s way.

How can we fix this?

The answer is simpler than you think. Programs, such as SMSReplier with DriveReply, are designed to alleviate both of these problems at the same time. How it works is as an “away message” for your phone while driving, allowing for you to seemingly respond to your friends’ attempts of calling/texting you, while at the same time keeping your focus on the road where it should be. Products like this are the answer to our problem of texting while driving that we’re faced with every day.

You can download SMSReplier from SMSReplier.com.

-Brandon S. 7/22/10

Ohio House Passes the Ban on Texting While Driving

Ohio is the newest state to move ahead with the texting while driving ban. The House passed the bill 85-12 today. The new bill, which still has to be passed by the Senate, will allow police officers to pull over a driver if he's seen texting. In the first six months drivers will be issued warnings only but after that offenders will be hit with a $150 dollar fine (a big improvement over Iowa's $30.)

Incredibly, there are people who are against the law. Opponents suggest that texting is no worse than talking on a cell phone, shaving or eating while driving.  Rep. Barbara Sears, a Republican from Sylvania says, "We don't need a law that highlights only one thing and suggests it is the only thing that's truly distracting."

We say, it sounds like Sears is counting on common sense to save us all and we know how that's going to work out. . don't we?

Iowa Approves Compromise Ban on Texting While Driving

Texting while driving is bad - everyone agrees and yet Iowa just issued a "compromise" and it's got freshman lawmaker Rep. Curt Hanson perplexed.


"I thought it would be a simple bill," the freshman Democrat from Fairfield said Tuesday before the House voted 66-33 to approve a text ban compromise. "I've gotten a firsthand lesson in the intricacies of the legislative process. It's been a wonderful experience for a freshman."

What it all amounts to is that they've banned texting except in certain circumstances. The law will allow texting under the following circumstances:

• Drivers engaged in public safety duties.
• Health care professional in the course of an emergency situation.
• Truck drivers receiving digital dispatch messages.
• A driver receiving safety-related information such as emergency, traffic or weather alerts. 

All of that sounds fairly reasonable and within the realm of common sense. We can't imagine that there have been too many texting while driving accidents that involved a doctor on an emergency call. (But seriously, in an emergency, doctors are getting text messaged instructions?)

Rep. Greg Forristall doesn't agree. In an article in the Quad-City Times, his position is that "a truck driven by someone distracted by a digital dispatch message is probably more of a danger than a Mini Cooper driven by a text-messaging driver."


The biggest issue with the law is not the exceptions, but the penalties. For the first year, law enforcement will be able to give only warning tickets if they feel texting is causing a driver to behave erratically. Then, violators will face only a $30 fine, which is hardly a deterrant. If they cause an accident resulting in serious injury or death, they could face a "$1,000 fine and 180 day license suspension."


Does the penalty fit the crime? 180 day license suspension after seriously injuring or killing another person because you were texting to a friend? Come on, Iowa. Time to get tough.

Texting while driving: Why do we do it? [TEXTKILLS.COM]

Texting while driving: Why do we do it?



[TEXTKILLS.COM - March 23,2010] Everybody knows it’s a bonehead move, but people still do it. Texting while driving is still regrettably common on US streets and highways, and it has been the cause of innumerable near-misses and more than a few accidents, including a deadly train crash in California that killed 25 people. We tend to take driving a car for granted, and think nothing of taking our eyes off the road to do any number of activities that could wait for later.

What’s even more disturbing is that public employees whose office is behind the wheel text while driving. The train engineer, who was distracted by text messages at the time of the tragic Chatsworth, California accident, was not the only public employee to ever put the public at risk due to this reckless practice. Only recently, a Washington, DC bus driver was caught texting while driving by a passenger armed with a cell phone camera. Although the driver was fired, he does have the right under union contract to file a grievance. We can only hope that the driver has enough common sense to look for another line of work. A bus driver in San Antonio, Texas was also caught on camera texting, and subsequently ramming his bus into an SUV. The Department of Transportation has recently announced guidance to prohibit commercial drivers from texting while driving, subjecting them to civil or criminal penalties.

Prominent celebrities and lawmakers have stepped up to raise public awareness and call for legislation to deal with the situation. Oprah Winfrey, on her popular television show, aired an episode featuring people who have lost loved ones to cell phone-driving related crashes, and she has set up a section of her web site to encourage people to take a pledge to make their cars a “no phone zone”. Several states have enacted legislation to forbid talking on a cell phone or sending text messages while driving, and Federal safety regulators have also created a set of guidelines to encourage more states to pass similar laws.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 6,000 people died in 2008 because of a crash that occurred when the driver was distracted, and more than 500,000 suffered injuries. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have passed laws banning texting while driving, and seven states have passed laws banning use of any handheld device while driving. There is currently legislation in the Senate that would bar all texting while driving across the board.

Just how dangerous is it? First and foremost, texting while driving just doesn’t pass the “common sense” test, but Car and Driver decided to demonstrate that it’s a bad idea once and for all, and compare driver’s reactions while they are texting against while they have been drinking. Academic studies conducted by simulators have already shown that texting while driving is a bad idea, but Car and Driver conducted the only live test, renting an open taxiway at an airport and equipping drivers with smart phones with full keypads. The results were astounding, showing that drivers that were texting were even more impaired than drivers who had been drinking.

Talking on a cell phone or sending a text seems like a simple enough task, and it is. But the fact is, doing so distracts us while we are driving, and in the case of texting, requires us to take our eyes off the road while we send and receive those friendly little messages. It may seem harmless at first to send a cute message to your friend about last night’s “Simpson’s” episode, but remember, the results could be devastating.

What do you think?  Care to Comment?

Dont Text and Drive

Dont Text and Drive

Posted using ShareThis

From: A message from AT&T

From: A message from AT&T

Received: 03/08/10

AT&T is committed to encouraging our customers to use our products responsibly. That
is why we are doing our part to raise awareness on the ussue of texting while driving. A
recent study by the Virginia Tech Transporation Institute shows that those who text
while driving are 23 time more likely to be involved in some type of safety critical event
as compared to those drivers who do not text while driving. No test message is worth
getting hurt over. So the next time you get a text while driving, remind yourself..."It
Can Wait".