When the car is moving, keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel – not on your mobile phone.
Sprint has a longstanding commitment toward raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. We work with our employees, schools, nonprofit organizations, product developers and others to combat texting while driving and to promote responsible driving.
These efforts are especially important for teen drivers. One of our latest initiatives involves Sprint Drive First, a new application that automatically locks a mobile phone when a car is moving faster than 10 mph, disabling phone functionality, directing incoming calls to voice mail and silencing distracting alerts for emails and text messages.
Reporters from around the country checked out the Drive First app recently and shared how it can help keep everybody safe on the roads. You can watch and read by checking out the "What others are saying" section below.
David Owens, vice president-Product Development, Sprint
“Sprint Drive First is another action Sprint is taking to encourage its customers to use their phones responsibly behind the wheel. We want to help our customers arrive at their destination. Texting while driving makes drivers four times more likely to crash their car. The person you want to call or text will be there when you get done with your drive; we want to make sure that you are, too.”
Details about Sprint Drive First:
• Shortly after the car exceeds 10 mph – determined using GPS and cell tower triangulation – the app locks the mobile phone. If the driver is using the phone when Sprint Drive First engages, the call will end and the phone lock screen will appear. Anyone texting the driver will receive an automated message indicating the person they texted is driving. The message is customizable by the account holder.
• A locked device displays a home screen with exit and emergency 911 buttons to override the app. Sprint Drive First can be overridden if the user is a passenger in a car, on a bus or train, but the parent or account holder can choose to receive notifications when the service is overridden.
• When the application no longer detects movement it unlocks and full device functionality resumes. Sprint Drive First takes into account stop-and- go traffic, so the driver must be sitting idle for a few minutes before the app unlocks.
How to get Sprint Drive First:
• Sprint Drive First, powered by Location Labs, now is available on all Sprint CDMA Android™ powered smartphones for $2 per month per phone. It will be offered on BlackBerry® devices and other operating systems in coming months.
• Parents start by registering for an account at www.sprint.com/drivefirst. The website will provide detailed instructions for obtaining the app.
Tasso Roumeliotis, CEO of Location Labs
“Location Lab’s goal is to empower today’s parents with the tools they need to better protect their families. Our collaboration with Sprint not only addresses distracted driving but makes the Drive First technology widely accessible, offering Sprint subscribers an easy way to gain peace of mind when their loved ones are on the go.”
Dangers of Distracted Driving
• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving and of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashes, 995 involved reports of a mobile phone as a distraction (18 percent of fatalities in distraction-related crashes).
• The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group – 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. (NHTSA)
Sprint Initiatives against Distracted Driving:
Since 2005 Sprint has worked on behalf of its customers and employees on the issue of distracted driving – including sponsoring national and local driver safety programs for teenagers and adults; releasing a distracted driving pledge for Sprint customers and employees; and developing a robust portfolio of distracted driving mobile applications and resources for general and business consumers.
• More information on Sprint’s distracted driving efforts can be found at sprint.com/focusondriving.
• Take the Pledge "I will engage in safe driving practices by avoiding risky behaviors like texting or e-mailing while I am operating a motor vehicle. When I'm behind the wheel, I will keep my focus on driving."
What others are saying:
Watch reporters at local news stations around the country – from L.A. to Kansas City - talk about Sprint Drive First:
Read what reporters have to say about distracted driving and how Sprint Drive First can help:
Fitness Magazine: “Considering many of us (myself included!) have a massive multitasking habit, this app could be a lifesaver.”
New York Times: “Smartphones have led to more distracted driving. They’re also helping to mitigate it with a host of new apps aimed at shutting down a driver’s device.”
Consumer Reports: “Whether you choose to use an app or turn the phone off yourself, talking or texting behind the wheel is risky behavior. It endangers yourself and creates risks to others.”
Today Show / MSNBC: “Does your child text? Does he or she drive? Chances are they’re doing both at the same time… Fortunately there are solutions that automatically kick in when the car starts rolling.”
Cars.com: “If you worry about your teen texting and driving or even talking on their cell phone and driving, Sprint has an application for you. Its Drive First app automatically locks out most smartphone functions while driving.”
Kansas City Star: “Need to stop Junior from texting and talking when those hands ought to have a 10-and-2 grasp on the steering wheel and those eyes need to be fixed on the road?
Sprint has trotted out the latest app designed to discourage phones from distracting drivers from the business at hand.”
LAPTOP: “Although text messaging is banned for all drivers in 34 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, it is still a continued problem throughout the country.”
More information:
Sprint News Release: “Sprint Drive First Application Helps Parents Combat Distracted Driving”
In addition to the video above about Drive First, B-roll is also available by contacting Amy Johnsonbaugh at amy.johnsonbaugh@sprint.com or 949-748-3389.
