Most everyone would agree that texting while driving is dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs. We have to put our smartphones in “Airplane Mode” when flying, would a “Car Mode” help avoid accidents caused by texting while driving?
TUAW:
As Fast Company reports, a pair of designers have come up with a concept for how such a feature — of which there are already versions on the Moto X and certain Windows Phones — would work and look on the iPhone.
“Car Mode,” as envisioned by designers Joey Cofone and Michael Vanderbyl, would be enabled on your iPhone as soon as it detects your vehicle’s Bluetooth connection. While the phone would still connect to the Bluetooth system in your vehicle for the purposes of GPS, and speakerphone, if you receive a text message while driving, it will be collected in a queue, able to be viewed only when you shut your vehicle off. Anyone who texts you while your device is in Car Mode will receive a reply that your iPhone is in Car Mode, and you cannot receive messages at this time.
While in theory, this sounds like a good idea, I would think certain details would need to be worked out. Of course, the mode would have to be voluntary. So, certainly many users would simply disable the mode. What about passengers with iPhones? Even conscientious users would most likely want to disable the mode when they’re merely a passenger in the vehicle.
Would Car Mode be safer than the “Siri Eyes-Free” capabilities some auto makers currently include in their vehicles? (This mode is also available to owners of older vehicles with Bluetooth systems in products like Beanco Technology’s “Mobile Home” device.)
What’s your opinion reader? Would a “Car Mode” lead to safer driving, or is it merely another indicator of the ever-growing nanny state we find ourselves living in? Please, share your thoughts in the comments section below.
