There’s a list of cardinal driving rules: don’t drive faster than the person in front of you, don’t be a jerk and cut people off, it’s called a “turn signal” for a reason and of course always, always keep your eyes on the road. With people’s newfound reliance on texting, it seems that there are more people breaking their duties to keep their eyes on the road. People often justify their actions with explaining that they only check their phone at stop lights or they’re “fine, it only takes a second.” A lot can happen in a second. Distracted driving spearheaded by cell phones causes accidents and kills people. According to textinganddrivingsaftey.com, 1.3 million crashes in 2011 involved cell phones.
Major cell phone corporations are proactive in the anti-texting and driving revolution. AT&T is responsible for the emotionally driven Don’t Text and Drive commercials and now Sprint is coming out with a new Drive First app. The idea is simple: you download the app (currently only available on android phones), turn it on and when your car is moving 10 mph or more it prevents incoming calls, text messages, emails and any other form of distraction that can come from your phone. This is revolutionary. The company that you pay in order to use your phone is trying little by little to prevent others from being injured because you’re using their service.
The app is only available for Sprint customers and costs about $2 per line. So, for a family of four drivers, for example, it would only be an extra $8 a month on the bill. The app doesn’t silence all your calls either. According to Sprint’s website, the parent or administrator can set up to five numbers that can reach you even when the app is on in the case of emergency. It will automatically unlock when your vehicle stops moving and you’re free to use your phone again. All of this sounds pretty sweet, especially for the parents of teenagers as they won’t have to worry that their children’s cell phone will hinder them while they are on the road.
While this can come off as a great idea and seems super helpful, it can also been seen as taking away a duty of responsibility for drivers. When you’re given your driver’s license around the age of 16 or 17, you are gifted this privilege. Driving is not a right for everyone to possess and there are many individuals that decide against having that privilege. You are given this license because you have proven you will follow the rules of the road. You know it’s a bad idea to drive while distracted;,you know it’s a good idea to follow the speed limit and you ultimately understand that there are consequences when you don’t follow the rules. So, if you are given this understanding upon receiving a driver’s license you know that you shouldn’t text and drive. It’s common sense, honestly. If you are unable to sit in a car and realize that a text message isn’t more important that your life and the lives of everyone around you, then you shouldn’t be driving in the first place.
The Drive First app is a noble position for Sprint. It can be used as a way to help you if you honestly feel that you will not be able to control yourself in the car around your phone. If you need this extra boost and preventive measure then it can be the ultimate blessing in disguise. This app could be perfect for teaching young drivers a sense of self-control and can be used as the training wheels to further their understanding about the consequences of impulsive actions. However, it is not a replacement for intuition and knowledge that driving and the importance of life come first. Ultimately, the app can be a great way for people to battle the problems of texting and driving as long as they realize they have a responsibility to not text and drive without the app.
Brittney Cox can be reached at brittney.cox@spartans.ut.edu