Not only in New England is texting while driving a major problem; it’s a national crisis affecting everyone on the road! Driver distractions can be classified into three categories – visual, manual, and most dangerous, cognitive. Cognitive distractions, such as texting, cause a driver to multi-task, lessening their ability to concentrate and focus on driving, as seen in this video clip.
Do you ever feel like you’ve been driving and don’t remember how you got from point A to point B? This happens because drivers perform some tasks when driving without consciously knowing it, such as beginning to break at the sight of a yellow light. Cognitive distractions, such as texting while driving, require the brain to multi-task, which prevents the brain from fully focusing on any single task. These distractions prevent your brain from concentrating, which results in “looking at”, but not actually “seeing”, up to 50% of your driving environment. This is referred to as “inattentive blindness” and inevitably leads to accidents.
Each state has their own regulations about texting while driving, but here in Massachusetts (as of October 2010); texting is illegal for all drivers when operating a motor vehicle. Will some drivers still text, even though it’s illegal? You betcha! Thankfully, a mobile guardian has been created to help prevent drivers from the common distractions of their phones, and hopefully help return safe driving practices to the road.
TextArrest is a software company that established an application (or app) for smartphones. This app limits texting capabilities on a phone while a vehicle is in motion. At 5mph, the app automatically kicks in and does not allowing texting while the vehicle is in motion. This app can be used for business fleets or for personal use (can we say, teen drivers?). There are a variety of plans available that can be viewed and purchased on TextArrest’s website.
While not available as of yet, TextArrest is actively working to partner with insurance companies willing to offer discounts for this having the TextArrest app on their cell phone. Regardless of the potential future discount, the TextArrest app can save you money today on your Massachusetts auto insurance by reducing accidents caused by texting while driving.
For more information about this topic, or to get some answers about your current insurance situation, please visit our virtual insurance agency at www.berryinsurance.com, stop by one of our locations, or give us a call at (800) 941-3317.
