Samsung is trialing a new app that aims to keep the attention of drivers on the road, not their smartphone.
The ‘In-Traffic Reply’ app takes advantage of GPS and other sensors in smartphones to detect if a vehicle is moving, and will activate an automatic reply to any incoming calls or texts.
Users can choose between a default reply, which simply indicates they cannot reply because they are driving, or a ‘fun reply’, which also adds an animation. In the final version of the app, a custom reply may also be added.
In NSW alone last year, 37,770 infringements were issued by police to people using a handheld device while driving. NSW crash data also found that mobile phone use contributed to 230 crashes between 2011 and 2015.
Samsung’s In-Traffic Reply app will initially be available as part of a beta in the Netherlands, with a release on the Google Play Store expected next month.
