Smartphone text messaging.

Not long ago, I joined the masses and finally picked up a smart phone.  While I thoroughly enjoy the new capabilities I have with it, I now also understand in more detail why the texting/emailing distracted driving issue is such a problem.  While I do my best to silence the phone while driving, I have found myself at long traffic lights checking the texts or emails that recently came in.

Over the weekend I decided to download one of the distracted driving apps that are available to see if and how it works to send “auto-reply’s” to the texts & emails.  I also started talking to more friends about whether they use such a tool for their phones.  While the consensus is that laws and big brother type software are nice, they are not really a deterrent to them at all.  One tried the “invasion of civil liberties” stance while defending their continued texting and driving habit. (I’ll save you from other side of the discussion about… is taking an email or text worth someones life?”   Others told me that all the apps or software has some sort of “override” to them that can be set so its a matter of personal discipline whether you choose to use it properly.

I will admit that one of the first things I did with my new app was figure out the override properties.  So I suppose for now, laws, driver programs that tell you its wrong, apps that lock your smart phone when driving, are only as good as the user.  Habits can be broken if you choose to do so.  Unfortunately, the quickest way to break the distracted driving habit of texting while driving might just be when something catastrophic happens to someone close to you….or to you.