Apple Has A Plan To Stop Texting & Driving

I don’t have to tell you that texting is incredibly popular and addictive right now. People use their phones to text everywhere – in the bathroom, at the dinner table, at the restaurant, standing in line, in class, and perhaps worst of all, behind the wheel. While texting usually doesn’t pose a risk to anyone’s life, it certainly does when one chooses to engage in it while they’re driving down the road. It’s dangerous for themselves and dangerous for everyone else on the road. This is why some big name phone carriers, such as AT&T, are doing all they can to get their subscribers to pledge not to text and drive. But phone carriers can only do so much.

Apple knows that more and more people are texting and driving, and they want to do something to combat it. They’ve patented something that will lock many of your iPhone’s features if it detects you’re driving down the road.

Statistics show that people who are distracted by their smartphone while driving are 23 times more likely to be involved in a wreck. Whatever your opinion on the issue, statistics are hard to argue with – and that is a pretty high statistic. Apple’s patent is for a program that will basically shut down your connected phone while you’re driving. Many believe this will work in conjunction with CarPlay in the future.

While I’m all for stopping texting and driving, part of me wonders how Apple is going to distinguish who is driving vs. who is riding in the car and using a smartphone. While some will praise Apple for doing this, others will surely raise their voices in complaint saying that people should be able to use their phone for whatever they want in their own vehicle.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below! And yes, I’m pretty sure the GPS on your phone will still work even if you’re driving.

[Image via PattyShapiro]

SOURCE: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/24/apples-iphone-lock-out-patent-could-end-texting-while-driving?CMP=fb_gu