Modern App-roach

Ever taken a call or replied to a text while driving? Most would agree that distracted driving is dangerous, and yet people rationalize taking that call or sending that text because it takes just a few seconds. It turns out those few seconds matter a lot.

Distracted driving is a factor in about four million collisions in North America each year, notes the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). CAA further cites figures from the Government of Canada, which reports economic losses caused by traffic collision-related health care costs and lost productivity are at least $10 billion annually; from Alberta Transportation, which reports distracted drivers are three times more likely to be in a crash than attentive drivers; and from the British Columbia RCMP, which reports distracted driving was a contributing factor in 104 collision deaths in the province in 2010.

A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) study of heavy vehicles or trucks, released in 2010, found that texting while driving raises a driver’s crash risk by 23 times and that dialing a cellphone made the risk of crash or near-crash event 5.9 times as high as non-distracted driving.

Separate VTTI research on light vehicles or cars showed that dialing a cellphone made the risk of crash or near-crash event 2.8 times as high as non-distracted driving, while that risk was 1.3 times higher when talking or listening on a cellphone.

Distracted driving is not tracked as part of an insurance claim, making it impossible to accurately or reliably measure the impact of distracted driving on claims costs or auto premiums. Even in the aftermath of an accident, there is no reliable way to determine whether or not distraction was a factor.

However, a distracted driving conviction does affect a person’s premium. A driver convicted of using a hand-held communication device while driving will generally see a premium increase of 5% to 10% for a first infraction. This indicates just how seriously insurance companies view the issue of distracted driving, despite specific and reliable statistics being unavailable.

2014 research conducted by Catalyst Canada shows that more than half of Canadians now own smartphones, and owners seem to have become increasingly dependent on them for pretty much everything.

As smartphones have risen in popularity, reports of distracted driving have also risen sharply. Anecdotally, law enforcement officials in the country say distracted driving contributes to as much as 80% of collisions on Canadian roads.

CHALLENGES PERSIST

Distracted driving incidents are entirely preventable. However, the reliance on (and addiction to) personal devices – which provide connection to family, friends, information and entertainment – makes reducing the number of distracted driving events a challenge.

This challenge persists despite the actions taken by Canadian provinces and territories to enact laws restricting or prohibiting phone usage while driving, and the fact that enforcing these laws has become a priority for police.

While the logical solution is simple – turn off phones when behind the wheel – logic and the law have failed to persuade all drivers to refrain from talking or texting while driving. It is not that Canadian motorists are not looking for a solution: an independent survey by Insights Matter, conducted on behalf of OneTap – an app created by AppColony, with support from The Co-operators Group Limited – found that 91% of polled Canadians feel it is important to address distracted driving.

However, if technology is the problem, perhaps it can also be the solution.

The survey indicates that 59% of the individuals polled feel technology will help reduce the problem of distracted driving, and app developers know this. Recently, a number of new smartphone apps have been introduced, including OneTap, that seek to tackle the distracted driving challenge by eliminating those distractions.

The free app, available in English and French, can currently be used with Android devices and an iPhone version is expected to be available in the summer of 2015.

Results of the Insights Matter survey indicated that 77% of Canadians would download these kinds of apps.

To facilitate that, AppColony is creating different versions of the app for businesses and fleets. These will use the same technology, but offer new features, including reporting and custom communities. A version for parents wanting to keep on eye on their teenagers’ driving habits will follow, again using the base app features with added reporting and security.

“I see drivers using their phones everyday on the roads, which is an issue I take extremely seriously,” says Superintendent Denis Boucher, co-chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police’s Traffic Safety Committee.

“Technology-based solutions are a powerful tool when combined with enforcement and education in the effort to end distracted driving,” Boucher argues in a statement.

PROMISING OUTLOOK

“As an insurance company, we want to be a partner of our clients in helping them understand their risks and how to manage them. We want to be more than just a commodity. One way we can do this is by leveraging technology in new ways to promote safety,” suggests Kathy Bardswick, president and chief executive officer of The Co-operators.

“The app doesn’t just solve the immediate problem of distracted driving by blocking messages; it also helps spread awareness of the issue with each message sent out to those trying to reach someone who is driving and using the app. This is a first step. Down the road there will be more functionality, and we’ll look for opportunities to tie it in with other technology we use to support our clients,” Bardswick reports.

The app helps to fight distracted driving by intercepting calls and texts without entirely cutting off people from their phones. It is designed to manage alerts intelligently, blocking these while automatically responding to any calls and texts with a message that lets the caller know the recipient is driving.

The app automatically activates when it detects the vehicle is in motion and, upon reaching the driver’s destination, turns off and presents a summary of calls and messages received over the course of the trip.

The app uses trademarked technology that allows urgent notifications to get through when sent by callers and texters who have a unique code to notify the driver. When one of these codes is received, the app alerts the driver that he or she should pull over as soon as possible to respond.

Calls can also be set to pass through when connected to a Bluetooth system, and emergency calls can be made in a single tap.

Users can add friends and family within the app, choosing to share their location with specific people. The privacy settings can be adjusted and all data is sent securely.

The app can then track the number of distractions prevented, letting users compare their totals with their family and social network, and add their distraction-free driving stats to the global totals.

The need, desire and market for these apps is growing. In just a few months, the app has been downloaded almost 10,000 times. That translates to more than 2 million kilometres of distraction-free driving and 50,000-plus notifications blocked.

Distracted driving is a cultural problem, although the attitude towards the issue is changing and improving. The fight against distracted driving is similar to when seat belts arrived in the 1970s and 1980s. Initial indifference – even resistance – gave way to safety and common sense.

It is hoped a similar cultural shift will be seen with distracted driving.