Jan 12, 2010 7:46 pm US/Eastern
New App Disables Texting, Calls In Moving Cars
WELLESLEY (WBZ) ―
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The iZup sends cell phone calls to voicemail and holds text messages while you are driving over 5 mph.
CBS
A New England mom says she has come up with a way to stop teens from texting while driving.
It's called IZUP and it is GPS enabled technology that can be downloaded to a driver's cell phone.
When the driver reaches more than 5 miles per hour, the phone is inactivated. Voicemails and text messages are stored until the driver is stopped and can safely pick them up.
Darcy Ahl, of Connecticut said she came up with the idea after she was passenger in a car driven by her distracted 16-year-old.
"I had a personal scare riding as a passenger in the car with my 16-year-old son driving. Both of our cell phones rang simultaneously and as he was struggling to answer his, the car was drifting across the dotted lines on 95," said Ahl.
She unveiled IZUP to Wellesley teens Tuesday and asked them to test the technology as passengers in the car.
She gave them all cell phones with the IZUP application already installed.
"The application launches and shuts the handset down effectively. You wouldn't be able to make any texts or make any calls while you're driving," Ahl said.
Sarah Carey, a University of Vermont freshman, who says she sends about 50 texts per day, says the technology would be great for a new driver.
"I think it would be really helpful for kids learning how to drive without any distractions. I wish you could make a few more calls... but overall the concept is really good," Carey said.
With IZUP installed, the driver can still call three pre-authorized numbers, (like mom, dad, and home for example) and 911.
"If a 911 call is initiated, the application shuts down automatically allowing communication with emergency services and sends a text and email to parents along with a Google map pinpointing the exact location of the emergency," Ahl said.
Ahl says 6,000 teens die per year texting while driving. She's hoping to change that.
IZUP costs 4.95 per month or 49.95 per year for an individual account and a little more for a family plan.
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