Apps That Will Help Keep Your Kids From Texting and Driving

If you have children that are driving, chances are they have cell phones. It is also likely that they are texting and/or talking on the phone while driving which can lead to accidents. However, adults can't seem to stop themselves from doing the same thing. The Insurance Institute Of Highway Safety says that 40% of drivers reported they are on their phones while driving at least a few times per week and 19% talk daily. It is because of this that 22% of car accidents in 2009 were caused by cell phone usage and distracted driving.

So what can be done to help keep adults and teens alike from being distracted while driving? One solution is cell phone apps that disable a large portion of phone functionality while driving. Apps like T-Mobile's "DriveSmart Plus" and "Key2SafeDriving" sense when you're driving by the GPS in your phone measuring speed. After doing this, the app disables most of the phone's functional features once a pre-determined speed is reached. Of course there is an emergency override feature built in to the app, as well as an override feature for passengers in the car.

Another solution suggested is a combination of phone hardware and applications. This type of solution uses a small module that gets attached to part of the car. Once the module is triggered by the car being used, a signal is transmitted to disable the phone. The last suggestion is a Bluetooth type technology that enables all voice and text-to-speech capabilites in the phone.

Setting a good example for teen drivers is important. Not using the phone while driving keeps you alert and focused on the road, instead of being a distracted driver that is likely to cause an accident. These technologies are available to help make our roads safer and keep our kids safe as well.