How many times do you hear an alert on your cell phone while you are driving?
How many times do you respond to that alert while you are driving?
Let’s be honest, it’s a bad habit. You hear the alert or see the little red light flash (depending on your model of phone), and you keep one hand on the wheel, and use the other hand to “quickly see what’s up” with that phone alert. Some people are brave enough to use both hands.
It’s sad but true, many of us have done and/or continue to do it, but at what cost?
Distracted driving — which includes texting, calling or emailing while behind the wheel—is one of the biggest public safety issues in Canada. In fact, recent studies show distracted driving contributes to 80 per cent of all car crashes from coast-to-coast.
Did You Know?
- According to the RCMP, the leading cause of fatal crashes in Canada over the past five years is distracted driving, contributing to 33% of these accidents (RCMP Traffic Services, 2014)
- Over 90% of Canada’s licensed drivers are subject to distracted driving legislation in their home province or territory that makes it illegal to use a hand-held phone to call or text (RCMP, 2014)
- An Ontario Ministry of Transportation study found that taking your eyes off the road for two or more seconds doubles your risk of being in a car collision (Ontario Ministry of Transportation, 2009)
- A driver using a cell phone is four times more likely to be in a crash than a driver focused on the road (Ontario Ministry of Transportation, 2009)
In this evolving age of technology, and for many, the need to stay connected, distracted driving has become a priority for local law enforcement.
As of Aug. 1, 2013, Manitobans convicted of using a handheld device while driving will receive two demerits, in addition to a $200 fine.
Funny, it’s that same technology that will help provide a solution to the distracted driving issue.
The folks at AppColony have recognized the need for a technology solution and have just launched OneTap, a new breakthrough app (proudly supported by The Co-Operators Group), to stop distracted driving. The app is currently only available for Android phones, but an iOS app is on its way!
Driving safely takes #JustOneTap! OneTap is your new personal driving assistant on the go!
The app intelligently manages your calls, texts and alerts so you can drive free from distractions. It’s ok to disconnect folks!
How Does It Work?
OneTap uses the built-in GPS on your phone to know when you’re in a vehicle and driving. The minute you start moving, the app starts blocking notifications that take your attention away from the road.
Don’t worry, it won’t just block your alert, it also sends an auto-reply to let your caller/texter know that you’re driving and that you will respond to them when you arrive at your destination.
On a long drive and expecting an urgent call? Have no fear, OneTap’s One2One™ urgent connect technology will notify you when there’s an urgent message, allowing you to pull over and safely respond.
I personally can’t wait any longer for the iOS version to be live so I can get it right away!
Want more detailed information? Visit getOneTap.com or follow OneTap on Twitter.
definitely a huge problem – and only going to get worse.
I need to pass this on to my hubby. He doesn’t always remember to pull over to take a call and I worry.
that’s a really cool app and very much needed for a lot of people on the road
I think this is a great app if people use it as designed but will they? So many still don’t want to miss anything and want to take the risk of checking. When we are in the car I turn all notifications off and the phone is synced with the car for hands free, and even there we rarely talk on it. When you are driving you need to focus on the road, it is not worth the risk.