Google Launch A New Drivers App In Wake Of Jailing
Did Google steal a march on Apple last week, in the slipstream of a tragic accident which highlighted again the issue of drivers using phones on the move?
The jailing for ten years of lorry driver Tomasz Kroker, who killed a mother and three children while using his mobile on the A34, provoked anger against Apple.
The tech giant was granted a patent in 2014 for technology which detects when a driver is using a phone and disables it.
This solution would use GPS to determine if a vehicle is moving and its cameras to determine who is using the phone.
However, it has yet to see the light of day in the product.
While Apple was being clouted by the adverse publicity, Google rushed out an on-phone version of Android Auto, which had previously only been available using the dashboard displays of selected vehicles. The latest version works on dash mounted phones. This App is especially designed for use by drivers.
It strips away detail from the screen to give a minimalist display and maximises voice interactivity. Its version of Maps is far easier to digest with just a glance. It allows switching between navigation, phone and music by a single press of a ‘fat’ button and makes calls through voice commands. It can also read incoming texts to the driver and take dictation of a reply.
The question will inevitably by, of course, whether even this will be enough not to distract a driver.
However, for the moment its use is within the law and is a timely response to the spotlight on demands for safer phone use on the road.
