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It’s bad enough that people are on the roads while intoxicated or without proper driving skills. Add the addiction that is smartphone withdrawal into the mix and you’ve got a lot of people distracted by these nice, big smartphones being released today. That’s why AT&T has been as aggressive as it has been with its It Can Wait initiative, reminding us that our smartphones are not the most important things to tend to while on the road with a huge machine that can cause major damage if you’re not careful.
ItCanWait.org is a great way to get yourself aware on the dangers of texting while driving, and would be a great URL to forward to friends and family whom you’ve noticed can’t seem to put the phone down and drive. The site features a pledge button where you can assure the world (or just your Facebook friends, really) that your eyes are always going to be on the road while the car is moving. It also features great resources such as stories, promotional kits and more to help you spread awareness to others as much as you take it in yourself.
That’s not the only way you safe drivers can help the cause, though — you could win some nice gear today that’ll help you spread the word to your comrades and promote a safer road. Courtesy of our friends at AT&T, Phandroid is giving away the It Can Wait gift pack! It’s a pretty big pack so let’s dive right into what you’ll be entering to win for your efforts:
- 1 Samsung Galaxy SIII (No Service Included!)
- 1 “It Can Wait” branded case for the SIII
- 1 “It Can Wait” T-Shirt
- 2 “It Can Wait” Thumbbands
- 2 “It Can Wait” Stickers
- 1 SkinIt coupon for one free large device skin
There’s no way you can’t adorn yourself in an obvious manner with this great message after winning all that. By now you’re likely wondering just what it is you have to do to win all of this gear. It’s simple: tell us which apps and accessories you’d recommend for making phone use while driving safer.
For instance, AT&T’s DriveMode app can be configured to automatically reply to text messages while you’re driving. You can tell someone “I’m driving, I’ll have to text you back when I’m done” without ever having to touch the phone. It’s an invaluable tool that should be one of the first things setup for many of you who purchase an AT&T smartphone for yourselves or loved ones this holiday season. Let’s take a look at the full rules and regulations, shall we?
- You’re entering to win one (1) AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3 It Can Wait gift pack as described above.
- You must be a resident of the United States of America to qualify.
- How to enter: leave a comment suggesting great apps, accessories and other tools that help keep your hands off the phone when they should be on the wheel.
- One comment will count as one entry, and only one entry per person is permitted.
- Entries will be gathered until 11:59pm Eastern on December 13th, 2012.
- One random winner will be selected to win the prize pack. If the winner doesn’t respond to contact efforts within a reasonable time frame (typically 24-48 hours) we will move on to select another winner. This process will continue until a winner has been determined.
- Please use an email address, a REAL email address, on your profile. It’s only visible to us, and it will go a long way toward helping us reach you sooner if you’re the winner. If you do not use a real email address there is no way to contact you, and thus you will not be able to win.
And that’s it! We want to give a big thank you to our friends at AT&T for allowing us to spread this great message and cause with a nice giveaway for the greatest readers on the planets. Let’s get those comments rolling in so we can all begin equipping ourselves with the tools we need to prevent dangerous and potentially fatal road accidents, and help spread the message that AT&T has with the It Can Wait initiative since 2009. Oh, and there’s a nice, eye-opening 10 minute documentary above that’ll show you just how important it is to keep your hands on the wheel when you’re operating a vehicle. Take a day break and press play whenever you get the chance.
Robin, best directions app for hands free users.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magnifis.parking&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDMsImNvbS5tYWduaWZpcy5wYXJraW5nIl0.
Waze is a great hands-off app. it can detect movement and not allow you to use it while driving.
S-Voice on touchwiz does a good job of reading texts; but the best is to put the phone on Airplane mode.
I use google navigation, otherwise if im driving a while i turn my phone on silent. no reason it cant wait.
Google’s voice to text works great!
bluetooth earpiece
Car Dock for Moto Phones and a headset…
I would suggest dedicating at least 1 day a week where you drive to and from work with the phone completely off. Grab your favorite CD and rock out.
text by voice
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonalight&referrer=utm_source%3Dsonalight%26utm_medium%3Dhome%26utm_campaign%3Dhome
I still stick with google maps with navigation. Nothing like hearing my sexy phone talk to me while driving and paying attention.
Waze has a great hands free options.
I dock my phone and use Car Home Ultra when Im in the car. Aside from that, google voice to text is a godsend.
text to speech on Google
Setting up and learning to use Voice Actions goes a long way, I have found. Beyond that, as others have said- the best solution is to not worry about texts and calls until you’ve stopped moving.
pull over to text!!!!! and also use text to speech apps so you don’t READ your texts while driving either. use SVOX: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.svox.classic&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5zdm94LmNsYXNzaWMiXQ..
A dashboard/windshield mount and Google Now
Bluetooth headset, speaker, or dongle to attach to your car stereo if it doesn’t already have bluetooth. And the CD phone dock Chris reviewed to keep your phone at eye level!
I am actually a big advocate for It Can Wait. Lost a close person due to texting and driving.
I guess he wasn’t too bright, huh? LoL!!!
Really? Poor taste, sir.
Block your texts while on the road.
Mountek nGroove Universal CD Slot Mount is an absolutely brilliant accessory that has revolutionized the hands off the phone experience in my car. I employ you all to pick one up. Remember, it can always wait!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G1L52Q/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00
The hell with texting and driving! Get elderly people out of cars and put them on Rascals, just with that change roads will be at least 60% safer. If people are that STUPID to text and drive, I say let’em die!
What about the people they kill? what if it was you or a loved one killed by someone else who was texting and driving?
The problem (other than the issue of your state of mind) is that the person text usually survives. Most frequently, they hit someone else or something else (parked car, guardrail, etc. . .
Yeah but they are killing other people tho…
Bluetooth & driving mode!
I use speech to txt directly from google and a Motorola BT hands free device. Speaking your txt is so much better than hands off the wheel.
DISCLAIMER:AT&T Employee here – not eligible for prize
I love what Moto did with the Atrix HD, the car dock, and Smart Actions. Drop my phone in my car dock. Done.
I concur – the phone will offer to read text messages when its in a Motorola car dock. One of the nicer things about my Droid Bionic!
Bluetooth integration with vehicle and google navigation. This way at least my eyes are the road instead of looking at a map trying to figure out where I’m going. Phone calls are also covered pretty well via the Bluetooth. Texting waits until I’m to my destination….period…no app can improve on that methodology.
Bluetooth that will work with voice commands is a must.
Absolutely no one is important enough to have to read or respond to a text while driving. If it’s that important they should call and unless your’e in a job where a phone call could mean life or death for someone then why even use your phone while driving? I do quality control for a construction company and a lot of my testing I do by myself or with 1-2 people away from the road crews. I’ve had idiots hit barrels next to me, follow dump trucks into closed lanes, almost hit me, all while texting. It’s amazing how many people I see riding through construction zones looking down typing into their phones and only glancing at the road ever 10-15 seconds.
A dashboard/windshield mount and Google Now
i have used drivesafe.ly before and that was cool at the time. now i use the installed app from Samsung on my note called dive mode. works great! however you can’t beat not even picking up the phone when there is an email or text. who ever it is it can wait! there is no need to risk your life let alone another person because you had to see what someone wrote. stay off your phones america while driving…
Personally, I have a visor mount Bluetooth speakerphone and it really helps, because I use voice actions to do everything in my car
Middle post! no seriously, car stereo output and microphone
I have a nfc tag in my truck that I touch my phone to. It uses the app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jwsoft.nfcactionlauncher&hl=en. It mutes everything and turns off vibration. Then I turn my phone upside down or put it in my coat so I can’t see it. I have another tag at home that turns everything back on.
Ive had that it since August and it really does help A LOT. I love slapping NFC tags everywhere I go.
Me too. I have one in the bedroom that turns all my sounds down to 1 and one more on my cardock to open up the navigation app
Just put your phone in your pocket and don’t take it out while driving.
Bluetooth and Drive mode…winner!
Google maps turn by turn navigation is great. The app gives plenty of warning time before turns so you never need to look at it while driving.
I have had a bluetooth speaker since anti-cell phone laws went into place in Washington. Now I can’t imagine driving without it.
use bluetooth to dictate text over speech
Speaker phone is great for leaving the phone alone.
I just a Bluetooth headset to answer calls. If I get a text and am in the car by myself, it can wait. If I have someone else in the car, they can answer it and do the typing.
Really, DoggCatcher is my solution. I set a podcast playlist before I leave and never have to touch my phone again. Calls/texts are announced with SpeakMe so I don’t need to look down to see. That CD Slot Mount looks enticing!
Smart Actions by Motorola has autoreply texts while you are driving so you can keep all hands on the wheel
I do the “glare evilly at people texting at a stop light”, but i doesn’t seem to work.
Use driving mode on the newer phones that reads all your text when your driving.
Bluetooth and drive mode are definitely winners here.
Google Voice search is pretty phenomenal when it comes to understanding your voice. It can really keep your eyes off the road.
I use Robin and a universal mount to go hands & eyes free.
Leave your phone in your pocket.
Motospeak is one of the best handsfree apps(in conjunction with their bluetooth) that I have ever used.
Google Voice search, enables me to make fast calls without looking at my phone.
Cars should come per-installed with a chip or a sensor that automatically puts a smart phone on driver mode when your in the driver seat. There has to be some way to do this. Perhaps a sensor in the steering wheel that has a three foot radius…. Think of how many lives it could save.
I use bluetooth to connect with my car, and drive mode with voice navigation for directions. No need to touch anything!
Utter lets me perform quite a few actions without having to look at my device.
Good bluetooth setup in the car with Voice command activation. And no texting. Something I appreciate to see when driving is to see someone on the side of the road talking on the phone rather than those crazy people who are driving while texting. Living in California and that is a continual occurrence.
glovebox!
Google Voice Search takes care of it for me, I’m loving Google Now.
I just keep my phone in my pocket and do not get it out.
Safely Go and Drive Safe.ly are both excellent apps for auto-reply and safe driving. I used to work in an AT&T Retail store and we heard many stories about accidents and deaths caused by texting while driving. Seriously, don’t do it. I love this new initiative!
Drive mode and maybe bluetooth built into the car. Also what about just leaving it at home?
Leaving it at home kinda defeats the purpose of having a cell phone…
I think a great idea would be to have an app that is able to work while the phone screen is shut off. You say the name of your phone-for instance, (Nexus, text so and so that I am driving and will call you when I reach my destination). Something in that manor to where you don’t even have to look at your phone or turn the screen on and not have to take your eyes off the road at all:)
I saw something cool this past weekend where you can Bluetooth the phone to your car and it can read AND replay to text message if needed. It performs the other essentials as well such as playing music and answering calls. I think this is by far one of the safest ways to drive with a phone so far. Of course, there is the obvious of just turning your phone off as well, even the distraction of looking to see who called is enough to cause an accident. I am not perfect when it comes to this, but I try my hardest to remember, that reply or call is not worth putting others at risk. My next vehicle will definitely be equipped with Bluetooth capabilities. Voice commands in the phone can work for those of us who do not have the Bluetooth abilities in our cars, but just be prepared for stuff to send weird if and when the app does not understand what you are saying haha.
use the no hands mode or driving mode when in the car. best solution would be to turn off your phone when you drive.
seriously, airplane mode. Whatever it is can wait. I use airplane mode when I’m in meetings or with friends and I use it when I’m driving.
I have an app that will help you not text and drive! It will automatically send a text response to any received text messages or calls. And it has an option to activate automatically when you dock your phone!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.havens1515.autorespond
An app like SpeakMe and a Bluetooth headset go a long way.
Wal Mart sells cellphone blockers that can be used in a car. I think that is ideal. It can be turned off when needed.
I like the DriveMode app, but the thing that works best for me is to put my phone is silent mode or leave it in the hatch. It’s far out of reach and thereby lessens my temptation to use it. My thought is, if I miss a phone call and it’s important, the caller will leave a message. I work in healthcare and have seen firsthand the repercussions of being distracted while driving. No text message or phone call is worth someone’s life.
Any old blue tooth headset does the job. Better yet, just wait until you park.
In a car that does not have Bluetooth built in I recommend the Moto Roadster 2. I have the first version and clip it on my visor and it easily picks up my voice and has a great speaker. It’s not as integrated as a head unit based BT but it works fantastic.
texting, tweeting, +ing, FBing and most anything else on your phone while driving is just a No Go.
Good luck geeks and stay safe. Thx Phandroid & ItCanWait
how about an app that one can set numbers that will GO THROUGH while in DRIVING MODE. all other numbers will be “ignored” and pushed to voice mail.
kinda like when you are anticipating a call from someone. but you are driving. when you receive a call from that number it will go through and somehow extend the number of rings before it actually goes to voice mail.
all others will go immediately to VM and not even ring.
If you really can’t stop texting then get textbuster. It’s hardware that blocks your cell signal via blue tooth and connects to your cars obd2 port! Great for kids who won’t get off the phone!
I use Car Home Ultra when in the car for a simple car mode app in case I have to answer a call. Beyond that I just don’t use the phone in the car when driving, period.
Let get better voice to txt and txt to voice apps and a lock box for phones Everything is better with a lock box
Just keep the dang phone in your pocket. That is the best advice one can give.
Bluetooth connectivity in the car works awesome!
Google Voice typing
I keep it in my pocket on silent…. because it can wait.
I just make my wife be my personal assistant. She handles all of my replies and phone calls when I drive lol
For when you absolutely have to do it, Google voice typing is great! Translation is better than my typing!
Any talk to text app.or just do like I do and don’t worry about it till your parked
how about an nfc tag in the car that will automatically respond to any text while you are driving with a message that you can personally set. Tap to turn on, tap again to turn off at destination.
Not NFC capable, but you reminded me of this app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wozia.nophonezonefree
Handcent Messenger
If you have no service, I recommend Sygic for GPS. It’s 100% offline navigation compatible.
You can even download maps by state. I use it with my Nexus 7 (non-HSPA). Works wonders.
Just sync your phone to your car, or use DriveMode, SpeakMe or Vlingo.
I’ve been using Vlingo app for over two years. Total hands free safety behind the wheel!
My bluetooth device keeps me hands free while driving just fine. I haven’t delved into any other apps to help out yet, but maybe I should check it out.
“X the Text” suggests a Designated texter to handle your texts when they are in the car with you. Keeps your hands and eyes off of you phone!
I use the Microsoft Sync apps and system in my car. It’s awesome. No distractions, easy to use, just works and is much much safer.
Being a motorcycle rider and constantly on the lookout for drivers using phones, I wish everyone thought It Can Wait.. You might be saving someone’s life.
I use the Bluetooth in my truck stereo to answer phone calls. Texting waits til i get where im going.
Voice typing with the new 4.2 keyboard works wonders.
nGroove universal CD slot mount. let’s me know who’s calling (like machete, i don’t text) with a quick glance. i never even have to take my hands off the wheel thanks to no-hands mode.
I silence the phone but when I am expecting a text I leave the phone in drive mode
If I won, the Driving Mode Widget app would be great because it only works with Samsung Galaxy SII and SIII models. It reads out to you text messages and phone calls so you never have to look at your phone while driving. It does this all through the speed of change of your gps location. Also a bluetooth headset is great to prevent accidents while on the road.
Sure I can wait for texting but I CAN’T WAIT to win this one!
Bluetooth headset if you really need to answer phone calls. But the best is to ignore all calls till you get out of the car. Seriously, cellphones haven’t been around that long compared to cars. Whatever was important back then could wait till you got to a location that had a phone AND not driving.
Any type of location based toggle app to switch your settings once you start driving is amazing. The GoGroove car bluetooth set is amazing, it lets you take calls and stream music through your car speakers. Please dont hurt innocent people by texting. if its truly that important, just pull over. It absolutely CAN wait
Two words: Google Now!!! Or just put it in airplane mode. It’s not worth it!
I just leave my phone in my pocket. No apps needed. Bluetooth speakerphones are always good, but I think an app that can use gps to tell when you’re moving at a fast rate of speed that will silence your phone or send automatic texts during each high speed period would be good.
NFC tags in your car mount can help make your phone more car ready by doing the tasks you need like turning on bluetooth and such without you even needing to think about it.
Google’s voice to text feature is the best way to text… or you could just ignore it. I have no problem cranking up the music and just ignoring whoever wants my attention :P
I think that every cell should come with a feature to auto-respond.
I’m guilty of texting and driving.. Hell, Im guilty of reading while driving.. Honestly tho the only safe thing is to not use your device at all… Even hands free stuff is a distraction.
Thanks Att and Phandroid for another great contest!
There are several ways to remedy this. Best one is to put your phone on silent and leave it in your pocket. If you need to have it out, then get a car mount and place it on there using the driving mode, v lingo to speak to it and have it read your text messages.
Vlingo works well, sometimes…
how about creating an app that will reply back automatically saying “i’m currently driving right now, so if it’s urgent please call me and i’ll answer the phone if i’m using a headset or bluetooth device, if you’re driving right now you shouldn’t be texting at all!!!” something like this i don’t know…. but please people don’t text and drive!!!!!!!!!
Put your phone out of site and enjoy the moments of peace while you drive. You don’t always need to be connected
I’m a huge fan of Google Now’s voice controls, but Samsung’s S-Voice also does a pretty good job.
Best suggestion… Turn it off or blue tooth it… It can wait
I hate seeing this, and I was once one of the biggest offenders. However there’s a single app that I activate when driving that helps a lot. Auto SMS. Here’s a link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tmnlab.autoresponder&feature=search_result
My Motorola bluetooth headset for calls, plain, simple and just works.
No one deserves to get hurt from someones dumb decision to take their eyes off of the road and text somebody. Nothing important has ever been said over a text.
app that rewards you for not texting and driving
I use my wife as my messaging tool to keep my hands on the wheel. She is a great personal assistant, but don’t tell her that I said that. :)
Google voice commands are fantastic for this sort of thing. As is just pulling over if its that important.
I ride a Motorcycle and nothing scares me more than a driver loking down at thier phone texting while driving. It can wait people!
Car Mode was pretty decent the couple times I’ve used it, but mostly, just wait.. that’s the whole premise, right?
Of course, you could also take public transit and use whatever app or communication you want.
It would be great if phones had a “driving mode” where it would not ring through calls or text messages. Perhaps it could read alerts, even text messages. I’m sure it could integrate with Google Now. When you get a text message it could alert, “text message from spouse.” You could respond with “Google, read text message.” This is coming from someone who doesn’t use voice controls.
I’ve discovered a bundle of smartphone features that are paid very little attention, that are great for handling messages and phone calls while a driver is navigating the road. Activating these features is simple and 100 percent effective at preventing cellphone related car accidents. In order to put these features to use, prior to operating an automobile, a driver should begin by pressing and holding the power button (which is typically located on either the top or the side of mobile devices) until a short list of commands pops up on their screen. From here, one is merely required to tap the portion of the screen that says “Power Off”, and their phone will immediately shift into a state of hibernation. Once this state of hibernation is initiated, all communication is managed by automated systems that queue calls and text messages, and then retrieve them once the mobile device is reactivated.
Commencing normal cellular operation is as simple as locating and holding the power button until boot animations appear across the screen of your device. Once these animations have concluded, your phone will be ready to return to normal use. All missed calls, texts messages, and social network activity are conveniently aggregated by core applications, and pushed through your phone’s notification system for reply at your own leisure.
I believe things will only get safer as auto manufacturers enable cars to be fully integrated with smartphones.
No app would be of good use while driving, ALL attention should be put into driving. no exceptions. If you want to launch an app do it before driving.
Utter! works great for handsfree. Robin has great features too!
awesome….
I use Tasker in order to send messages letting people know I’m driving. I also don’t need to drive much which helps.
Having the phone on a car mount and using bluetooth to answer calls. For texting, there’s no need for any apps. Just don’t do it. If you must, then a voice to text like robin, vlingo, or even google now and s-voice will somewhat work, but even then you still need to somewhat see what’s going on. So the best way is to ignore the texts.
I use my bluetooth headset and my Sony liveview while keeping my phone in my pocket so I know I can’t text. I don’t have to look away from the road to see who’s calling, I just raise my wrist a bit, see the name, and answer or ignore.
S voice is a great companion for keeping your hands on the wheels!
The volume button set to silent, to drive without any distractions. Barring that a blue tooth set.
Google Maps of course is hands free, Google Now is beautiful just by asking it for directions and activating it by voice control, quality car dock and you’re all set :). Good to have a bluetooth as well for incoming calls. Or use a NFC tag to set your device up a way to send an custom text letting them know you’re driving.
the Jabra Cruiser 2 is a great in car bluetooth device. it handles all of your phone’s call and audio playback. The best feature though is the built in FM transmitter that allows it to tap into your car’s audio system. when paired with the Motospeak app it reads and transcribed your messages as well.
The easiest way is to not be selfish and just THINK of others’ lives that you put in danger when you distract yourself with phone interaction. Not only are the people in your car in danger, so is everyone else on the road.. even 5 miles behind you.
As for apps, Waze is a great social GPS that helps reduce travel time, inform of accidents, and even has a chat system (for passenger interaction, of course) to help fellow drivers.
I think that there is no real safe way to use a phone and drive if it is that important pull over somewhere safe to use the phone. Even talking on the phone while driving can be distracting for a lot of people
Handsfree Bluetooth in all our cars for calls. Texts are ignored, unread, and unanswered until I’m stopped and parked.
NFC tags and Bluetooth
All you really need is a good hands-free set and a voice-activated app like Vlingo. Then you can make all the calls and sent all the texts you want without having to touch your phone.
I use Google Now for about everything while I’m driving.
turn off my phone entirely or use airplane mode. its definitely not worth looking.
I use my passenger(usually my wife) to respond to texts… Or I just wait till I’ve arrived. I have used “StartTalking” for hands-free texting while driving.
Nfc is the way to go
Have a passenger if possible answer the phone.
There is a great deal on buy.com right now for an adaptable car mount for your phone, so you can have the gps in a convenient place that only takes a glance to see!
Use bluetooth in the car and use the car mode
Google Now/Google voice actions works for me. Would be nice if it could be always listening for me to say “Google” though, and be able to do a bit more 100% hands free.
Google Now is great for hands free driving
Any app that auto responds that you will get back to them when you aren’t busy/driving, and tells them if its an emergency to call (and you use a Bluetooth headset of course).
The Jabra Cruiser2 is a perfect accessory that you can attach to your car visor to allow you to make phone calls and listen to music through bluetooth. Its fully voice operated, so no need to be pressing buttons.
Bluetooth headset with auto answer function.
I use a Motorola Bluetooth headset I got for cheap (like 20 bucks) and got a five dollar vehicle mount for so my phone is out of my hands completely. I’m currently using a One S, which has a Car Mode as well.
An app that automatically connects to those new black boxes that are supposed to be in cars which allows the smartphone to also gather data which is recorded in the black box and also , in the event of a crash where airbags are deployed it automatically dials 911 to inform emergency crews of the crash. Otherwise the smartphone operates normally but the screen it turned off until the user exits the car. All commands such as music and calling take place over bluetooth linked to the cars audio system.
I dont need any apps, I just simpy don’t txt and drive. This phone is awesome though, please make me a lucky guy!
The only thing I can honestly suggest to make the road safer isn’t a phone app, but a whole car app: driverless AI. It’ll take a few more years before it’s widespread, but it WILL happen, and it’ll save thousands of lives per year once the idiot humans are finally taken out the main loop.
Driver mode rules!
Car dock or NFC tags to automate changing settings that are auto or driving optimized.
honestly all test messaging should be disabled and a voice solution should be allowed but ONLY if your going a certain speed limit. 5 mph should be fine but 30+ and it should definitely be disabled.
I use an LG Tone bluetooth headset and Google Now. Handsfree dictation rules.
I’d recommend a bracketron vent mount to keep you from having to look down and off the road if anything pops up, as well as a blue tooth connection to the stereo system like a Parrot, so you don’t have to take your hands off the wheel or eyes off the road when you get a call.
I think that no app is needed. I just don’t text and drive, period. I refrain from phone conversations on the road, unless I have a bluetooth in or it is an emergency. It is true: ‘it can wait.’
Just Don’t Text while driving,,,Simple
I use the handle in the car door. Before I take off I can check to see if there’s anything I need to take care of. Upon arrival at my destination, the phone is handy if I need to check and see what is needed. If my wife is in the car, I will likely let her handle incoming requests.
Some people want to learn the hard way, go ahead and text and drive, you’ll see what will happen. Then we will make an example out of you.
I give my phone to the kids in the back seat!
I would recommend Dragon Personal Assistant. You can turn on car mode and it will become hands free so you don’t have to be distracted while driving. It’s great.
I admit I’ve done it – too often but no more. It’s fricken scary how many people you see driving with their head boobing up and down trying to be sly about looking at their phone. No excuses about being stopped at a traffic light either!!!!
I’m skeptical about tech based solutions – NFC tags, GPS sensors locking out features etc.
This one calls for peer pressure – people in your car and other drivers just making it clear it is unacceptable.
I would have to agree with what others have said in installing nfc stickers in your car to enable blue tooth and what not so that it makes it so much easier to transition into a safe driving mode
Simple, just lock the screen and have someone else set a password that you don’t know!
if verizon finally made the pogo pin car doc for the gnex
Google Now is the best hands free app. It will give all the features like navigation, hands free messaging and gives reply back to your questions.
i think giving my phone to the kids helps… keeps em quiet for a bit too.
I’ve found that there are some pretty good hands-free texting apps available for those times when you absolutely, positively *HAVE* to text, not the least of which is Text By Voice by Sonalight (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonalight ) which I use personally. But for the most part, I find that anything that is said by text usually can wait the 20-30 minutes for me to get where ever it is that I’m going, or if I feel I need to take my eyes off the road to say something by text, that it’s extraordinarily simple enough to pull off the road and into a parking lot before doing so. No one behind the wheel should be taking their eyes off the road for any reason.
My Motospeak. Free Motorola app that should work with any Android device, and your BT enabled vehicle or hands free device. I’ve used it to send/receive texts with people. I love the idea of making the road a safer place. It’s amazing to think of some of the stuff people do while driving… eating bowls of cereal… reading news on a tablet/laptop… texting is just as bad.
Just put your phone on silent and set it down. You can wait, the person texting you can also wait.
a Bluetooth headset/speaker and dock!
You can use the blocking mode that is now part of android to block incoming text. That way you will not be tempted to look at it and take your eyes off the road. Merry Christmas and safe driving everyone!!
Google Now & Bluetooth
I use “Llama – Location Profiles” to turn on my phone’s bluetooth when I’m not at work or home. I pair this with a BlueAnt handsfree speaker phone device in the car.
Idk about hands free but I can keep my eyes off the road by using Google now to make calls or send texts
I have to put my phone on silent. Otherwise it is too tempting to get it out when I hear a notification sound.
If your car has Bluetooth (which I am very grateful for) just connect and the call button is right on the steering wheel. If you are out looking for a new/used car, it is worth the extra couple of hundred dollars for it.
The new Google Now. I can literally ask it anything just by saying Google. On top of that Google Maps integration of voice search really helps out.
I use vlingo and a blue tooth device. It reads me the texts and I can respond with out touching the phone.
sweet
Google now for me. I use it for texting.
How about don’t text and drive period. but if anything i do voice commands and Bluetooth into my car stereo so i can be picked up by my mic.
The simple answer is to not answer the phone/text. Put the phone on silent or ignore it. Do you really need an app to help you ignore texts while driving?
Absolutely loved my Atrix 4G car doc I wish they made one for ever Android phone
How bout an NFC tag that disables sending texts while car is running? Anyways, the safest, most effective solution is to stop taking/making calls or texting when you are driving. If you have somebody else with you in the car, let them do it for you.
nfc tag in car, reads text to you through audio system, can also reply through audio system.
Use Bluetooth in your car to sync it, and with the help of Google Now and HTC’s Car app, you can ensure that your hands will be on the steering wheel (Google Now) and your eyes on the road (HTC’s Car app).
Google Glass will help inanely. Then there’s self driving cars!
Vlingo, if you must, but I think that any interaction with he phone means less attention to the road, plus the nature of the call may be even more distracting. I think it can always wait. A phone call is never worth a life-or-death gamble.
An app that can automatically detect you’re driving and prevent any notifications from distracting you
Inicio Coche Ultra is the best app on Android to keep you hands off the smartphone while driving, you can set 18 shortcuts to directly access your favorites apps:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=spinninghead.carhome&hl=es
Cobine it with this great Car Mount for Samsung Galaxy S3:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Samsung-Galaxy-SIII-S3-i9300-Car-Windscreen-Vehicle-Dock-Mount-Kit-/271016772130?pt=AU_MobilePhoneAccessories&hash=item3f19dbc222
The perfect Combination!!
My two cents here are one, a cd tray universal phone dock featured in an article a while back (with phone speakers these days, there should be no issue with volume). And two, although not a downloadable app as far as I know, the galaxy phones have a great car mode. Your phone will be close enough to be used as a navigation or radio tool, far enough to not be tempted to play with it, and convenient enough to keep your eyes on the road.
Bluetooth headset, paired with Google voice on phone. tell phone to text someone just by your voice. never look at your phone while on the road again
Over 3/4 of teens text daily – many text more than 4000 times a month. New college students no longer have email addresses! They use texting and Facebook – even with their professors. Tween (ages 9 -12) send texts to each other from their bikes. This text and drive issue is in its not going away. 60% of older teens routinely Text and Drive
AT&T’s DriveMode app or other texting auto reply allows anyone to schedule a ‘texting blackout period’ in any situation like a meeting or a lecture without feeling disconnected. Those social messaging tool for the end user that also empowers this same individual to be a sustainable safer driver. And I strongly recommend those apps
Bluetooth speakerphone. Windshield car mount. And texts can wait.
Let me win this because to key to driving while calling someone is bluetooth headset ^~^
Talk to txt apps and earpieces
turn off your phone when you get into your car
The power button is my favorite app to minimize texts or just turn the phone to silent.
I just use an NFC tag in the car that has an autoreply programmed in
The motorola roadster does pretty well with all this. I can reply to text messages and it reads text messages to me and announces who is calling me all via bluetooth. Never have to take my hands off the wheel or more importantly my eyes off the road
A good bluetooth headset.
Google needs to make Google now take more commands and have an even better functioning system. That might work very well or you juse resist urges and not use your in the car.
Too bad AT&T DriveMode isn’t compatible with my iPhone but on my Galaxy Nexus I was using Vlingo which has a drive mode as well.
I like the Ford Sync bluetooth for streaming music in the car.
WOOOO!
Bluetooth headsets are the way to go. I use my headset for calls and the voice activation lets me talk into the headset to send texts. Very helpful and much more safe than txting and driving like some of my dumb friends.
Just turn the thing off while you drive! There’s no time that you need to use your phone while driving. If you need it for navigation, turn the screen off and use audio directions.
I use an NFC tag to connect to my Bluetooth speakerphone, which announces who is calling or texting me. I can then choose to respond, ignore, or send a auto reply all without even touching or looking at my phone.
Purchase a Bluetooth headset or stream calls in text through your own stereo system via Bluetooth. It’s a digital age where technology has been made for convenience and safety.
The best tool for keeping your hands off the phone while driving. Built in bluetooth system. Then there’s also Tasker of course, which lets you do basically ANYthing with your phone. Like turn on speaker phone and read your texts to you when you’re driving.
Similar to the DriveMode App from AT&T, a good app idea could send incoming calls directly to voicemail with an intermediate message telling them that you are driving currently and will call them back when you stop. That way they know why they are being sent to voicemail. Obviously I think there would have to be a bypass code for emergencies if your wife or parents, for example, absolutely must get ahold of you immediately, or maybe a VIP list of people that it would automatically announce to you who it is, answer the phone and place it on speaker phone, then hang up when the call is done.
I have a Bluetooth dock in my car and when activated the Tasker app auto replied to all texts that “I’m driving and I will reply back to you soon”. Originally I bought the car dock for “hands free” calling and listening to music but with Tasker it adds some additional safety features.
The best accessory most people have. They are called pockets. You take your phone and leave it in there till you’re done driving. If you don’t have pockets then you might have a purse, which works just as good.
I use Vlingo and a car mount in front of me. I also use a NFC tag on the dashboard and NFC Task Launcher to toggle bluetooth and launch Vlingo InCar at the same time.
nfc task launcher app used with my tags allow my phone to turn on bluetooth when i enter the car. I love it!
I still believe Vlingo to be the best app that can do everything until Google makes it so. With Vlingo, I just have to say “Hey Vlingo” whenever I am in my car to do any voice command, be it text, phone, or even play music. I wish Google would make it like Google Now where it can recognize you being in your car via NFC or Bluetooth and say “Google” to activate it. So, Vlingo…. for now. Never text and drive!
You phone should know it is in your car & auto reply to text messages explaining that you are driving. Then read them to you when the car is stopped at a red light or parked.
The best accessory I’ve found to keep me from using my phone while driving is the public transit system. I can use my phone all I want on the train to work.
I never respond to texts while I’m driving, but I have used the voice controls to respond to important messages occasionally. I’m extremely impressed with how well voice to text works in Android 4.1.
i believe tasker can help with this problem. with the right settings, that is.
I personally use the NFC tasker app so when I mount my phone in the dock it ignores all text messages.
A Bluetooth enabled car stereo and a car dock are good.
People should use an autotext back app that informs others that they are driving. If it is really important they can prompt them to call so that the driver can use their bluetooth headset.
I use a Bluetooth headset to keep my hands on the wheel and my eyes on the road.
Bluetooth headset to make my phone hands free.
I like to wait to answer texts until I’m parked; however, there are some text to speech messaging options such as Vlingo which can be really useful.
Two words: Airplane Mode.
I would use a TecTile to activate car mode on the GS3 when I first enter my vehicle. This would help automate connecting to my car’s bluetooth.
A dash mounted device holder combined with Tasker and EVA make it simple for me to keep my hands on the wheel and safe while still being connected. When a text comes in I get prompted to respond with a set of pre-canned messages. Of course, if the message demands a more articulate response I send out a “hang on” message and pull over to respond safely.
Bluetooth speaker: http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Bluetooth-Portable-Speaker-Packaging/dp/B002TZFEKU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355423478&sr=8-2&keywords=bluetooth+speaker+car
The Rocket Fish car mount.
Google Now/speech to text searching
These are the only things I use in my car (although, I have built-in Bluetooth). I don’t do much in my car with my phone besides music and directions, and all of the above keeps my phone within site and makes it easy to get anything set up.
Update the O/S so that the first text when the phone is travelling over a few miles/hour will ask if you’re driving. If you answer no, continue texting as you’re a passenger. If you answer yes, set auto-reply to sms on. It’s honor system but sometimes a simple reminder is all you need.
TxtBlocker while using the DriveMode would provide resistance to people wanting to text and drive. Those together would prevent future accidents and save lives.
I’m a firm believer that you should select a music set to play before getting in the car. Realize that driving should be relaxing. Shut out the world. No texting or phone. Just drive enjoy the drive and arrive alive. :)
Bluetooth speakerphone, great for a car that didn’t come with bluetooth from the factory. http://www.belkin.com/us/p/P-F4U037
Robin is a good tool, just wave your hand and talk..
I use tasker. When I am in my car any text that is sent to me gets an auto reply that I am driving. I don’t have to do anything to enable it because as soon as I start my car the bluetooth syncs up and the task becomes active until I turn off the ignition. I keep BT on for most of the day on my phone. Battery drain is insignificant. I also use tasker to turn off BT at night and back on in the morning.
nGroove In-CD mounting kit with AudioManager Pro (mute all but Media) with Pandora on.
If you can’t hear anything coming through but the music, there’s no need to mess wit’ it. :)
The new quick response features in Android 4.2 are another great way to keep our attention on the road where it belongs. We’ve all been there, texting while driving, but really, the risk is not worth it. Fight the addiction! Play it safe!
Forget nfc tags Microsoft on{x} is awesome, uses gps and accelerometer to determine location and mode of transportation. And then it executes predetermined tasks. Same as nfc tags but automatic. Love that app.
I use an “Accessory Power GoGroove Flexmart X2” bluetooth to FM modulator to enable hands free use in my car, and rental cars. Paired with my trusty RAM suction cup X-Grip to hold my phone securely and I’m safe no matter what car I’m travelling in.
I use the vehicle navigation dock with my atrix 2. It displays apps that can be useful while on the road. But you should only interact with it while being parked. I don’t need an app to force me in to being a safe driver.
I think that there are lots of apps for safe driving, some phones even automatically sync with the cars main console. But to be honest the best accessory/app for safe driving is to simply put your phone in the back seat so your not tempted to use it. Your safety & others safety isn’t worth it. And apple can’t patent that
BT enabled app to read the message out and voice enabled reply.
I turn on blocking mode on my phone so I can not be disturbed, but I have a few contacts that are allowed through.
I use the Jabra Freeway, which clips to my visor. It also makes for a great portable speaker and has great sound for a small speaker. It has 1 big button that I tap to anser the phone, or it can use voice commands through a free downloadable app.
use utter so you just have the one action you set up then do everything else with your voice
A good windshield mount can let your phone act just like a standard GPS unit, letting you refer to it at a glance without actually taking your eyes off the road.
I just don’t mess with the phone in the car. I like to enjoy some music while I cruze. I’ll get back to whoever contacts me when I get to where I’m going. :-)
dock and bluetooth.
waze or google maps turn by turn nav
Use a bluetooth headset
Sonalight text by voice can do hands free texting (and read back all incoming texts with option to reply) all without touching phone. It needs help in the speech to text accuracy department….but it’s a start.
Also, Vlingo.
I use Tasker for this. When connected to my bluetooth is reads my text messages out loud. It also auto replies with “Im driving right now and will call you later.”
I use a combination of a car dock and a bluethooth headset every time
Always use a bluetooth headset. That’s something anyone behind the wheel should do. I never used to but since my wife got me one, I realized how much of an improvement it is compared to holding one hand on the wheel and one to your head while occasionally using your knees for additional assistance.
It’s not the 90s anymore, go hands free!
my first choice is having the passenger take all my calls and texts, but when I’m driving solo I use robin.
The best advice and what I do is put the phone away from you, so you are not tempted to pick it up. Whatever it is will wait until you get to your destination. If you don’t have the self control, my advice is to use tasker and make it so your phone won’t alert as you travel and/or some type of auto reply that you are traveling and will get back to them.
Honestly a window mount does wonders for me. Sturdy enough to hold the phone when driving but too flimsy to play with it. Perfect for when I’m using navigation
There are no apps, nfc tags, or driving modes that make it acceptable to use while driving. A good Bluetooth headset, custom earpiece like those made at averysound.com, and a phone call back to the person using voice commands is the safest way to do it.
It’s only available in English, but Google Voice Search paired with my bluetooth headset is a fantastic way to use your mobile without having to use your hands and get distracted!
“Search the web and your phone by voice and control your phone with Voice Actions. Quickly search your phone, the web, and nearby locations by speaking, instead of typing. Call your contacts, get directions, and control your phone with Voice Actions.”
Power button!
Llama is a good one. Location based. It can recognize that you’ve left your house/work/etc and change your phones settings accordingly while you’re in transit. What’s better is it uses phone masts to determine location so your battery won’t be eaten up by gps.
An app so that when the car is moving more than 10-20+ mph that it reponds, “I am currently driving, i will text you later.” Or a NFC tag to stop all incoming text messages until you bump it against another to reenable them. Some accessories could be blue tooth headsets to write your message, or using google now and s voice.
I recommend Shush! It’s a great app that will turn off all notifications for a specified amount of time. If you know you’re going to be on the road for an hour, set it 1hr and it will turn things back on when the timer is done.
i just use the voice dialer on ASOP. Seems to work very well for me and functions with my bluetooth commands.
Google Maps/Navigator for Android is the single greatest driving buddy ever. Sooo much better than the crap Apple puts out.
Sync your phone with the car and all things can be hands free. Turn on a good Podcast or rock out to your tunes.
I like using the voice dictation feature if I am having to text someone on the go. It is a great feature that I have been using when I have not been in the car because I am too lazy to type out a message sometimes.
Take the bus once in a while it’s fun. Then you can text to your heart’s content.
Drive stick!!! Your hands will be too busy to text. And you’ll enjoy driving more when you’re not in traffic :-p
Here is a SPECTACULAR idea! A readily available car dock for the Galaxy S3 so that we can have a nice, secure dock made for this phone and allow us to use hands free apps, and be able to see our navigation.
As obvious as this amy seem, Google Voice. All of the integrated voice commands work phenomenally and keep my hands on the wheel and eyes on the the road.
That being said, hopefully 30 years from now there wont be a problem with me texting while driving—my car will be driving itself.
Not for texting, but music apps should all have a large font, large button driving mode
I use google voice to type for me in the car. I does very well for my purposes.
A Bluetooth earpiece that was small enough to fit inside your ear canal (like a tiny hearing aid) would be AWESOME! Since so many people walk around 24 hours a day with a bluetooth earpiece hanging on their ear, they have really become OUT OF FASHION much like Ed Hardy shirts.
They would need to be in the $30-$50 price range to capture a large # of buyers
I leave my phone in my pocket.
The ATT drivemode app sounds pretty cool, that would work.
Bluetooth and hands-free mode on Android: awesome.
The best thing I’ve come across is my pocket… Insert phone and leave until leaving the car. Never had a problem being on my phone in the car.
Waze map app has turn by turn voice reminds you not to text while driving and has traffic info
The off button!
having car docks that allow using navigation and music but not txting is a good preventative measure.
I just don’t text or talk on the road. I have Tasker read the messages out load when I’m in the car, so I know if it’s something I need to take a break and deal with.
I downloaded drivemode on my wife’s One X so she wouldn’t be tempted.
Why not take the name of the campaign literally? Any text that you are going to send or receive while you are driving is not worth your life, or the others you might take by looking down at the screen for an average for a few seconds per text. You can get an app such as https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tmnlab.autoresponder&hl=en Or there are many others in the market for free and a Bluetooth then use said app to set your Auto Response to “I am driving, give me a call if you need to talk.” This way IF it is something super time sensitive or even not, you can answer with your hands-free device a simple click of your finger at your ear without ever taking your eyes off the road. This is the only safe way to do this, the other apps I have found are just not intuitive enough yet to allow for seamless text reading and replying without pulling your eyes off the road.
bluetooth, text-to-talk, just don’t talk on your cell-phone
I’ve found that a good bluetooth headset with voice commands helps to keep my eyes on the road and my fingers off of the screen.
ionroad augmented driving looks like a good driving app, there is a free and lite version
Just run car mode. Still can be had on rooted devices.
Turn off your phone, That is the safest way to drive!
I dock my phone and use a bluetooth speaker thru my stereo to answer calls.
Dragon Voice Commands, Vlingo and other for handsfree operaton. Tasker, Setting Profiles, Locale and the like for automatically handling settings and recognizing the phone is in the car and how to behave.
Personally I use a Bluetooth adapter into my stereo so if I must take a call, I can do it without taking my eyes off the road. I also keep my phone out of reach just to avoid the urge to read/answer a text.
Eva the virtual assistant has a car mode feature that’s great for voice actions, on top of the included voice actions like answering emails, texts, connecting to Bluetooth, launching navigation etc. it reads messages back to you and you also have the option to add your own actions to it. it has an awesome wake up mode phrase, making it completely hands free for safer driving. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bulletproof.voicerec&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bulletproof.voicerec&hl=en
Turn off the phone or silence it. If it is truly important, pull off the road to text of make updates to your facebook status.
With Google Voice Actions and bluetooth, you’re all set.
I use an NFC tag in my car with NFC Task Launcher to turn on Bluetooth, reduce volume, turn off vibration,… Turning on Bluetooth makes it connect with in car audio system and that in turn enables the Text by Voice app. When I leave the car I tap the NFC tag again and it puts the phone back in regular mode.
An app that uses an accelerometer or GPS that puts your phone into airplane mode until you are at a speed of less tthen 5 MPH for 5 minutes
I second on letting the wife handle texts and emails while I drive. I do the same for her when she drives. Other then that we usually pull over when alone an the text alert goes off.
I think it would be great for an app to recognize when you’re moving about 20 miles an hour to auto block texts. Using data it should be easy to sense this and would take the management of the blocking out of the hands of the end-user and make it auto block.
“Contacts app” can send an automatic text message to someone calling you.
I use the TecTiles App with the TecTiles to activate car mode so that I don’t accidentally text and drive or call and drive. Then I put on the bluetooth to help make it happen.
Izup and txtblocker are a couple of good apps to use.
TextYouLater by supersonic technologies. Reads incoming texts aloud, and lets you respond with a predetermined custom message letting the person know you are driving. Works well. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_tyguy829.TextYouLater&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImFwcGludmVudG9yLmFpX3R5Z3V5ODI5LlRleHRZb3VMYXRlciJd
I do the same thing. Except I use Microsoft OnX to sent out an I’m driving message anytime it detects I’m driving.
Sonalight text by voice works great for me.. I have no need to touch my phone at all when I get a text while driving
Sync the phone address book to the car and use voice commands to make phone calls. No texting!
Don’t use your phone in the car. Even talking hands free is a distraction. Make sure it’s on silent and don’t take it out of your pocket or purse. When you’re driving, you should only be driving.
I will only answer my phone if my bluetooth is firmly planted in my ear. Text messages only get answered once I’ve arrived, never while driving! I guess it’s because I can remember a time before cell phones ruled the world. Driving behind someone who is occupied by their phone while driving is as bad as someone who is driving drunk! They have no idea what could happen in that “short time” that they are texting a book to their bff or uploading their creative photo to instagram!! PUT THE PHONE DOWN!! =]
I don’t text while driving. Don’t need an app to keep me from doing so, I’m not the least bit interested in getting into an accident over something stupid. Was in a major car accident 12 years ago (I wasn’t texting, though), and the memory of that ordeal and the hospitalization (I was really lucky) is *more* than enough to remind me to never text and drive. I don’t even like having conversations via bluetooth (or with my passengers) while driving due to the potential for distractions…
I just hand my phone over to the passenger seat.. They keep track of my texts and whatnot! For times when I am alone, I have a Jabra Cruiser bluetooth accessory, it acts like a speaker phone and has a FM radio transmitter to route calls and sounds through the car stereo system! :)
i think an app with auto reply would be a great addition to any smartphone.
I’ve texted multiple times using voice recognition on the phone. It works great!
Its probably been mentioned, but I used car dock ultra and SMS, My Car + Me to keep me handfree while Im in the car. It starts up whenever my phone detects my car’s bluetooth conection.
Windshield mount with Voice Search. works every time!
Also, I can plug my phone into my new car or even sync it via Bluetooth By doing that I can use the steering wheel buttons to either make and receive calls as well as play music on my phone or even play Google Music through my car speakers! All without taking my hands off the wheel!
vlingo.
Bluetooth and voice actions should be enough
I have found that a sufficiantly complex pattern unlock is impossible at best to undo while driving; making me VERY unlikely to try and look at a text message. Best of all, it’s built into every Android phone, and is free.
Would sure as hell be better than my crappy Thunderbolt which has NO DOCK. :(
Mute the phone and put it in the glove box. Or like some have said, if you are driving have your wife or husband handle the technology. Or just have self control and DON’T do it. None of the messages you send or receive can’t wait till you get where you are going.
The best way of course is hands free meaning thru something like Ford Sync or Siri
use your phone in a car with bluetooth capability so it can answer calls for you without you having touch your phone! don’t text and drive!
I like to use a rubber band that keeps my phone on my head.
Car Mode on my Galaxy Note 2 is a life saver. Can read out texts, directions, answer calls with voice, and so on.
SMS Yellout. A great driving app, I already got my little sister to download it as soon as she earned her permit! I’ve been using it for about 6 months to keep my hands on the wheel once I’m in the car. Try it! And Good Luck!
Vlingo helps, the bluetooth connect to the car for phone calls also
My phone has “Blocking Mode” Enable this while driving. Notifications are disabled and you can “allow” calls from those on your “Allowed” list. That way you can put your spouse or child on that list for emergencies while driving.
not an app but for those that cant resist touching their phones at the smallest notification beep, airplane mode will do wonders.
Car-dock has been the most useful thing I’ve used, but even that can be distracting. I’d think any in-car apps should convey a minimum of information with a minimum of fanfare- kind of like the old navigation system Audi had- directional arrows and one line of text denoting the next street name. Keep things simple and easy to read at a glance.
NFC tags would be the easiest way to implement this. Would love to see at t phones have this with their phones.
Start an interactive glass section on car windshield on the driver side that syns with smart phones!
I love NFC Task launcher – You can program NFC tags to do things like turn on bluetooth when you get in the car + set music volume automatically + send a message to someone saying you’re on your way. It’s a great way to keep your focus on the road!
I like my Motorola bluetooth speakerphone
Best app is no app. Just shut the phone off until you get to your destination. Remember when we didn’t have cell phones? The world didn’t end.
I usually use my bt in my car, dont really text while driving, and if I do, I set on drivers mode, so it reads it outloud.
A car dock and app like Vlingo
speaktoit assisstant is a great app to have. While it acts like google now and siri, you can also tell it to read all incoming texts, and also to direcct every call to you handsfree. Thus, you get the functionality of a driving safety app in handsfree, but in a normal conversation-like method. Plus, it can also do things for you like set appointments, search for things, etc like google now that other car appps won’t do !
I use car mode and have it set to not allow texts until vehicle is stopped. Also, I use an app called self control! :)
I think it would be cool if the app could detect your momentum and automatically switch to drive mode. Perhaps car makers could install a blue tooth-type device that automatically disables the texting feature on phones that are synched to that vehicle.
If I can get my hands on an NFC sticker, I’d definitely stick one in my car so that I can just swipe my phone against the sticker, and have airplane mode turn on.
A little self-control in the car can go a long ways.
This is what I use.
Belkin Bluetooth Car Hands-Free Kit
BlueAnt handsfree
Samsung Galaxy Universal Vehicle Navigation Mount
Samsung TecTile Programmable NFC Tags
Locale
Locale Dock Plug-in
Locale Bluetooth Plug-In
Locale NFC Plugin
Locale Call Filter Plug-In
Locale SMS Auto Respond Plugin
Car Home Ultra
Ulysse Speedometer
Locale is infinately more capable than the AT&T app and it works on all carriers, lets face it a lot of teenage drivers are on the prepaid services. A dock is a must, use the built in dock function to activate locale and the apps and settings you want. If you have a generic dock use the bluetooth connection or an NFC tag to activate locale.
For the guy with the Thunderbolt, it does have a dock. I have 3 of them. One official OEM dock and 2 made by other manufacturers. All 3 support dock mode.
Take it one step further and make the NFC tag in the car update any messenger status (or other social network of your choosing) to “Trying to save the world, one safe driver at a time” and automatically turn on bluetooth for those emergencies where you need to call while driving.
It would also be nice if the NFC was linked to OnStar in GM vehicles or the OnStar enabled rear-view mirror for others (or something similar). This could potentially lower the price of those kinds of services to a “per use” with a price cap at the current prices.
There really isnt an app for this just gotta put it in ur pocket on silent so you dont know if you have any notifications and drive and then you can check the phone when you reach your destination
Please use Air Gestures
voice prompt
No matter how great an app or gadget could stop people from using their phone while driving, people need to just leave their phones in their pocket or purse. Leave the phone along while driving and ONLY to use them when you pull your car over and put it in park.
Vlingo or just don’t text and drive.
KidZone or a similar toddler game app with lock features…hand it to your kid…they’re occupied, you don’t have your phone until you’re done driving. If you don’t have kids you can pretend that you do and put the phone on your back seat with the same (or any, or no) app running.
Make a compatible cd head unit that can display and speak incoming notifications and be able to use your voice to respond with an action.
I drive all day for a living in the city. I am pretty happy to recommend a couple of Apps that work pretty well with voice recognition for GPS. I love Waze. It’s pretty addictive earning points. If there was something in the reporting section that would allow it to be totally voice controlled then it would be a 10 star app for me. It does stop you mid- stride if t senses that you are driving and asks if you are the driver or passenger before proceeding to receive inputs which is pretty smart.Google map’s voice control is pretty great for me too.
I think the smartactions stuff with moto is pretty nice software wise. As for hardware, a car dock/phone holder is a must for anyone (you shouldn’t have to look down at your phone for visual directions). Any type of communication with a cars speakers (e.g., bluetooth) is also pretty helpful.
vlingo and/or a car dock that isnt in your way like the cd slot dock. Also a good car dock app like the stock google car home one
One of the few things that was “MUST HAVE” when I bought a new car was bluetooth capability. I was adamant that I be able to use voice commands within my vehicle to call using my phone. I have even set the default setting on my locale service to switch bluetooth on. I’m hardly ever needing to even remove my phone from my pocket while driving. It’s awesome!
Bluetooth enabled headunit!
Vlingo or any of the apps with drive mode. Really, no joy derived from sending or receiving a text can match the intensity of the pain caused by a fatal accident.
How about an NFC tag that will disable the txt app once you’ve moving over 3 miles an hour.
DriveMode
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glasscube.drivemode_beta
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.client.DrivingSMSAnsweringMachine&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.drivescribe
I use heytell a lot while driving. It’s better than texting because you get quick replies to people without typing or looking at your phone .
hand cent or vilingo
I use vlingo! It’s not perfect but it definitely helps..
Auto SMS is a great app that you can turn on when you get into your car.
The best idea is not to use it at all. Studies show that it isn’t looking at your phone or holding it up to your head that causes the problems. Even with hands-free headsets, for example, the impairment of drivers’ ability goes up dramatically. It’s all about a drivers’ divided attention.
The best bet is not to text and drive or really even talk and drive for that matter. If you need to, stop for a quick minute and do so. Have your passenger help out. AT&Ts app sounds great, and I hadn’t heard of it. Basically, put your phone away and enjoy some NPR or something.
You can set up tasker to read texts aloud while driving, as well as also transferring your contacts to your car via bluetooth. That way, you can push the “call button” and literally read aloud the person you want to call. I rarely, if ever, need to look at my phone when i can say a name and directly dial.
Bluetooth ear piece or visor mount speaker thankyou
I use a car dock, and Vlingo for voice control!
my great “app, accessorie, and tools” is my girlfriend lol! she reads and text for me while I drive.
Waze FTW!
A couple of years ago, at&t sent me these little cloth thumb covers you are supposed to wear when you drive. They have sayings about not texting and driving. I received multiple packs, so I gave them to my friends. Some of them still wear them to remind themselves not to text while driving.
Utter is great for voice activated tasks.
just throw your phone out the window
Driving is a skill. As such, should command your focus. Self-control is the key.
Google Voice Actions and bluetooth
It is definitely important to not text while driving as I had a couple fo friends get injured this way from accidents. But on a side note, I would love a new Samsung Glaxy S3 as that would be the ultimate christmas gift for me!
~Matt Darrow
An app that is embedded to all mobile phones that initiate when the driver is driving, and shuts off incoming text and calls by automatically responding not available. The app sense the phone is moving at high speed by gps and location from one tower to the next.
Putting my phone on the seat next to me and turning up the music loud so I don’t feel or hear it has worked for me.
An app that responds to text messages with an away message while on, blocks the noise/icon for texts coming in until the app is turned off, and automatically forwards calls to your voice mail while giving the caller a message saying you’re driving.
Brother just learned this the hard way
A tool you can always use is your hand – press the power button and turn off your phone.
Using s voice through my cars bluetooth works perfectly for dialing or texting without ever looking at the phone
The drivemode app sounds GREAT!
Vlingo app and a bluetooth headset
There’s a lot of cool things out there to keep your hands on the wheel but really the slogan is right, texting can wait. No need to do it even if it is hands free.
I use a bluetooth headset for communication and MapQuest with vox for navigation
Any Bluetooth product available now should do the trick for this cause!
A car dock and Bluetooth are good steps. Just don’t text and drive and you won’t have to worry about it.
how do i avoid txting while driving? i shake in uncontrollable fits
each time i hear my phone go off and try to avoid eye contact with it .. almost like it were a wild animal… it would make sense to put it on
silent or vibrate… but i guess i didn’t think of that until now lol…
No apps – like others said, just don’t text while driving, ever.
I can’t wait for the self-driving cars to come out and solve this issue
For this cause any Bluetooth product available would do.
We need the REAL Google Drive! Self driving cars!
How about you turn off your phone. That way you don’t need to use any apps or accessories when your driving.
Well I mean the greatest thing that keeps my hands on wheel are knowing my son and daughter are in the backseat. Dont even touch the phone or think about it when im driving cause I know they need me
Pair your phone to your bluetooth stereo and change songs through that. As for texting and driving. You can wait until you’re at your destination to respond! Have patience.
I put my phone on silent, turn Bluetooth on, and put my phone in my center console. Bluetooth and driving mode have been such an easy way to keep my phone away.
I’m all about the bluetooth headset + having a copilot. Hand phone to person in passenger seat for them to man text/call duties if need be.
I use a bluetooth speaker by Ventrex that allows me to make and take calls.
I am a teen driver I been driving for a year now and what I do is put my phone in my pockets and leave it in there so it is not a distraction, it is hard to ignore your phone but I rather keep it away then distract my self and cause an accident.
Google Now is my favorite thing when driving. Only need to hold down the search button after unlocking, speak, then you are navigating.
well ben heck made a pritty good device that prevents texting and driving!
I don’t text and drive but when I have a phone call I either use the speaker phone or my headphones
Tasker should be a app that carriers use more often, and they can set it up for novice android users to where if their moving 5+ mph, it auto-turns on speaking text etc.
put the phone in the trunk and then you cannot be tempted
Put the phone in bluetooth/hands free mode and have it sync up so all your calls, etc go through your cars speakers. Don’t text and drive.
If you really need to respond, call them with a bluetooth device, but preferably just don’t mess with your phone. That’s what I suggest.
Or if you’re with a friend, make them help you. :)
I like to use this: http://goo.gl/gdxwf especially the fact you can get other voices and even languages to use.
I would like to win – I vowed to never text and drive after a friend of mine was hurt very badly after being hit by a texting driver
Speakerphone!
I really would like the stuff. sure thats nice. but i’m actually here to state that a close friend of mine passed away while tweeting and driving. This is serious. No place for jokes, no place for movie references. Things will never be the same. His tweeting about a friend of ours that died the week before. Please be serious. please be safe. rest in peace.
I use a Jabra bluetooth headset with my new HTC one x+ :-). I stick to no texting, while driving. But I do use it for navigating, and to keep it mounted, I got an iBolt car dock.
Texting and Emailng can wait.
I think you shouldn’t use the phone at all when driving.
You think you got everything under control, but you don’t.
Even if you do, that doesn’t mean everyone else does. And there’s a lot of reckless, stupid drivers.
So now you have to be extra extra extremely careful looking out for those drivers while trying to interact with the phone.
No accessories will help. As for apps, something like a virtual assistant in movies. But our tech is not there yet.
I think using the voice function of the stock android keyboard is really helpful, especially with a bluetooth headset.
Google Now and the Google voice recognition software does wonders for alot of things for me… including hands free stuff
Even if people have any type of Bluetooth on. Drivers are still going to be distracted while driving. Since most people are horrible drivers to begin with.
Get a dock that’s tough to get the phone out of and connect the aux cable. It’s wayyy too much work to take it out to try and play with it while you’re driving!
Best suggestion, turn the phone off while driving
a great thing to do is plug your phone in to charge… in the back seat (assuming your vehicle has a port in the back) and leave your phone in the back seat.
car dock and auti texting
I feel that the Skyvi app is a pretty fun alternative. Ok, I just went to the play store and randomly picked an app relative to this context for this giveaway. yay
The best phone accessory for any smartphone in my opinion is the off switch. If you turn your phone airplane mode on while driving you will not be tempted by anything to use the phone while driving. If you really have to use it. Pull over, turn on hazards, and then proceed to use it. Don’t put your life or anyone else’s at risk because you had to respond to a text from your ‘bff’.
I’m not able to drive yet, but I’m always making sure to tell my family members not to text and drive! More and more manufactures like HTC, Apple, Samsung, Mitsubishi, Honda, have started enabling their devices with hands free operation so you don’t really have the need to go out and find any other application. Phone & car ‘s out today are most likely ready from the start! All you would need to do is complete 1-3 minute setup, though some older device don’t have very good hands free applications you can always use apps like JARVIS-Texting, Robot, Dragon Go, Vlingo and Assistant!
Safe drive is app that is in Google play that disables texts and automatically replies to texts.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sentersix.safedriver.android&hl=en
Tasker can also be set up to ignore all these while in your car.
use the driving mode app that should come with the premier suite package on the gs3. im not sure this function will come with this upgrade. the best app though is to leave your phone alone completely while driving.
sometimes if your driving and you get a text i will only text if im in park, if im at a gas station , or if im at a red light .. ( i knwo the route i take and some lights are an honest 2 minutes) .. but if my foot is on the gas pedal i will not text , make the person wait honestly, ill be driving and ill see cars swirving a little and i think to myself i wonder if there texting and they always are
I just plug mine into my aux jack then put it in my glove box and don’t touch it.
But my mom uses this app. It replies with a predefined text when you’re driving: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.client.DrivingSMSAnsweringMachine&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5jbGllbnQuRHJpdmluZ1NNU0Fuc3dlcmluZ01hY2hpbmUiXQ.. My mom doesn’t get an super important messages…
Then there’s my brother who is constantly working even though he isn’t at work. He uses Vlingo and has it read his texts to him out loud. If he has to reply, he will pull over or have a passenger reply. Here’s Vlingo though, it does a lot more than that, too: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vlingo.client&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS52bGluZ28uY2xpZW50Il0.
For safety and convenience while driving, nothing beats a bluetooth headset that fits in ear. The Plantronics 975 is great and has much better audio quality than radio units with built-in bluetooth,
Bluetooth
Stop The Texts – Stop The Wrecks…
Both Waze and Vlingo are good apps to avoid actively using your phone while driving. The best solution of course is to just not text and certainly make use of a passenger and have them text if you need to text so badly.
A simple Bluetooth app that syncs with the car. When they are connected, sms & mms is disabled.
Google Now voice dictation
Don’t text and drive! Texting can wait.
B-)
its simple. DISCIPLINE…. if you cannot discipline your life to handle small matters. how do you expect to achieve greatness…..
He who strives for nothing more often than not become nothing. But he who dares to achieve greatness, They often find it…..
Just saying. be someone great. Choose life (both yours and those who may be hit by you). you will thank yourself for it
I personally have my phone on silent once I get in the car, would be nice if there was a feature in the OS or Rom that would use Bluetooth as a sensor, so the phone knows you are in the car, and disables the sound of the phone.. Boom, you won’t even know if you are getting a text
Just received the Mountek nGroove car mount. HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! It uses your CD player slot to mount your phone and is very sturdy.
What about an app that would automatically detect you are in a car driving and it would block the keyboard until you reach your destination! AWESOME! Lets use our technology for something good not only for us but for evreyone
I’d love to comment about what applications to use for safer driving, however as a police officer, I’ve been on accidents both minor and fatal where using a cellular device was the root cause of the accident. Plain and simple, lives can be saved if a little bit of common sense and better judgement was used. Responsibility can save the life or lives of an unsuspecting driver from the carelessness and bad judgement used whilst using a cellular device while driving.
I think a great feature would be via gps the phone recognizing it’s speed and face detection via the front facing camera. So if you’re driving and the phone “sees” you’re looking towards it the phone will be totally blank and unresponsive to touch untill you are out of “driving” speeds or you could override it via a hardware button shortcut.
i use drivemode app
Woof app starts to bark when you text while driving. Hands free headsets and bluetooth headsets assist you to keep your hands off the phone.
Use a car dock + blue tooth headset. Done.
The off button works pretty well for me!
Give this guy a giveaway!!
DONT TEXT AND DRIVE BUT IF YOU MUST USE THIS ! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.socaldevs.hft
The off button works well.
Google Maps, because with Apple Maps I don’t think not texting would be able to prevent my imminent death.
Also, Google Now is pretty much invaluable for life in general, so I think I should mention that too.
I installed (aftermarket) a car stereo with bluetooth. Lets me answer calls via the in-dash controls. If only it could initiate voice dialing, it would be perfect. (I don’t text much.)
I have a phone dock and car blue tooth system that I’m able to use to listen to music, answer phone calls, and listen to navigation.
I just turn my phone off and forget about it for awhile (its a nice break)
Blue Tooth has changed my in car habits for good!
bluetooth plus google now. if that works and you have jelly bean
The moto smart actions are a pretty good way of keepin your hands on the wheel :)
A car that uses cellphone as a key, and if car starts, the phone automatically launches ATT drive mode app or something similar so that drivers don’t get distracted. Even for phone calls, it’ll direct calls to a voicemail or bot that will only connect if it’s an emergency
Not a fan of texting whilst driving (for obvious reasons, it’s quite dangerous and also quite illegal in my area) so instead of texting I use my phone as a GPS device (mounted safely to the dashboard, and with the trip destination pre-programmed, of course!). TomTom for Android just came out, but just as good an alternative (and less expensive) is CoPilot Live if you need map capabilities where roads go and signal doesn’t–or good old plain-jane Google Maps or Waze if in an area with good signal/no worries re roaming.
An app such as drive safe.ly that reads sms messages
The safest would always be to just to wait. But there alis also some beautiful voice recognition software such as Google Now, S-voice, and Siri. You can almost talk to your phone as if your contact was in the car with you.
Jarvis gets my vote
i need that all
How about “Robin, the Siri Challenger”? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magnifis.parking&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDMsImNvbS5tYWduaWZpcy5wYXJraW5nIl0.
I highly recommend a Bluetooth speakerphone, if you must talk and drive at the same time at all. Also, using Navigation and a mount when you need directions.
Just don’t text and drive. Bluetooth headsets work good also for phone calls.
For me at least I can’t think of any situation I could possibly be in where I couldn’t wait to respond to a text until I was done driving, I guess I’m lucky enough not to have to commute long distances to work or anything so I’m usually only in the car for a short amount of time. I tell people that if they need me to respond to something ASAP they’re better off calling me so that I know that its urgent. I’ve always treated texts like I do emails, which is “I’ll respond when I feel like it”. I feel like we live in a world where everything has to be instantaneous, I’ve had people get angry at me for not responding to Facebook messages for more than a day which I find strange. All that aside I still think tools like Siri or Google Voice go a long way towards making using your phone while driving infinitely safer and easier, now its just a matter of implementing more features into these voice control programs so that you really don’t even need to touch your phone to get anything done.
I let me wife text and use the speaker phone while I drive. My wife has a jawbone she used when she drives. Neither of us text when driving alone.
Siri?
I’ll bet future cars will have some kind of jamming mode.
Microsoft SYNC
I only use Google Music and Navigator while I drive, with a navigation dock. I don’t need to text while I drive, hell, I wont even talk on the phone. Those things can wait.
HA!…..I texted this while driving…..Did I win?
I like to use my Belkin Aircast Hands Free Bluetooth device! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=09N-000E-00098&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA It’s super east to use, nice on the eyes, & picks up my voice REALLY well when I want to dictate a text message via. hands free!
i simply dont use my phone in the drivers seat – basic self control :P if i use navigation or play musoc, i start it before i drive and dont touch the phone till i stop.
how about you make it a habit to put your phone under your seat or in the console box, sometimes i have to also remind the wife not to text me when she knows i’m driving…
If its that important, just pull over and read/respond. For most of us, there are not that my texts that are that important.
Hey i love samsungs built in driving mode that does everything thr first comment said second best thins…TURN THE PHONE OFF!
I use headphones or bluetooth when talking on phone
While in college, there was a project being worked on that was a small circuit board that would connect between your battery and the phone. It was bluetooth enabled and would connect to a device that was connected to the OBD-II port of your car. Whenever your car was in motion, it would disable the connection between the batter of your phone and your phone (essentially turning it off). Whenever the car stopped, it would re-connect the battery.
It was also smart enough to sense and record when it was removed, so that if parents got this for their teenagers, and the kid removes the device so that they can use the phone while they drive, their parents will be able to hook it up to their PC and see that it was removed, and when.
I purchased NFC tags for my car and home. When I enter my car I scan the NFC tag which enables airplane mode. When I scan the tag again at my destination it disables airplane mode.
Best option is to just drive, leave all phone use for later.
2nd best option is to use a BT headset while using a car mode type app that will handle all communication, navigation, etc. via voice.
How about we use a great feature that came with the phone called “Airplane mode”. I use it alot, especially when i don’t want to be bothered! haha
It drives me up the wall when my girlfriend texts me while she’s driving. She’ll be like “leaving work now” and then I’m getting texts from that moment until she walks in the door. I don’t even answer back (of course that has repercussions). Was even worse back when she had a sidekick.
best “app” to address this….on/off button
We should create an app and force all users to download it, The app should stop phones from receiving/sending text when they are moving faster than running speed. Say no faster than 8mph. After all, if we have to have bloatware on our phones, make it a life saving one.
Textarrest app locks the phone when it senses movement faster than 5mph so you cant text or use your phone unless you pull over and stop
Turn by turn voice navigation and voice commands
Location based apps are good (I use Motorola’s Smart Actions since I have a motorola phone currently). And handsfree bluetooth with voice actions. I haven’t tried Google now, but I’d like to be able to fully voice command my phone so I don’t have to touch it at all in the car.
And the best… power button (put phone to sleep while driving).
Sprint has a nice app called “Sprint Drive First” that prevents texting while driving.
Car mode for NAV and music only…..my friends or co _pilot can text or make calls for me.
GLUE!!!
Driving Mode would read out texts and callers to keep hands free and eyes on the road
BT headset is essential for me, as well as what many others have stated. No txt in car, period. If I get a call or txt, I pull over to side of road or find a spot I can stop before I engage in that conversation.
When you are driving, there could be an app that uses text to speech to read the message and who it is from. Then, the app could turn on voice recognition and ask if you would like to call the person.
Get the text no more app from textnomore.com. You can choose how long you will be driving and then it will not let you text.
I dont usually use my phone in the car, but google now is very useful for handsfree.
Google now voice search pretty much takes care of everything I need so I don’t need to mess around with my phone while I’m driving.
I use speech to text exclusively to text.
Lock the texting app with the GPS AND limited activity so it’s a pain to text while driving.
Really simple i put my phone on silent, works everytime! Drive safe out there!
get a case from belkin
I typically let my wife handle the phone for incoming calls, but incoming texts can wait. I don’t play on my phone when I’m driving.
How about a app that can read and send text messages by voice through blue tooth in your car
just need self control don’t need an app or gadget just freakin wait so simple
My favorite accessory is the mute button, so I don’t get the urge to respond. Period.
I use N4G Auto text reply; it automatically responds to the people who text me. Quite useful.
bluetooth headset keeps my eyes on the road and off the screen when I drive.
My wife and kids are great incentives to keep my eyes on the road and off my phone!
aFirewall blocker is a good app for blocking unwanted calls, both while your driving, or not.
how about voice recognition for the awakening of the phone. Just say answer and the phone will answer and go straight to speaker. Other voice commands would be nice also.
AT&T’s DriveMode app sounds best for heavy texters otherwise just ignore the text messages while driving. Or use google voice assistant to send text.
I always liked the BlueAnt Stuffs. The latest version of the app lets you text 100% hands free. I remember text comes it, reads it to you, asks if you want to reply, reads back what it heard and then asks if that was correct and to send or to re-do. Literally 100% hands free
Google now for text to speech…
Maybe in the future we could get a head’s up display of our apps on the windshield.
Let the passenger handle it if needed, otherwise bluetooth accessories (I personally use the mic with my radio if I need to make a call, and for TTS, and Speech to Text)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wozia.nophonezonefree
AT&T’s Drivemode app is an easy and effective way to curb texting while driving.
Something like T-Mobile’s DriveSmart that stops messages when your gps shows that you are traveling fast.
I simply don’t use the phone while driving
Drop my phone in my car dock. Done.
FR107
A reliable app to read text messages and allow you to reply with voice would be a good compromise for those who think it CAN’T wait.
I’ve been guilty of it in the past, but that was with t9 dumb phones that I didn’t need to see to type with.