It is Possible to Earn Rewards When You Do Not Drive Distracted

New Phone App Can Make Roads Safer, but Will it Come to Tennessee?

Distracted driving is a serious danger on Tennessee’s roads. According to statistics, about 3,000 people are killed each year by distracted drivers. Hundreds of thousands of other motorists are injured and can incur high medical bills, to say nothing of lost wages and pain and suffering.

Fortunately, there is technology being developed that can encourage people to drive more safely. One option discussed in the New York Times will actually pay people for driving safely by allowing them to accumulate points for each minute they drive without using their phone. Our Manchester, TN car accident attorney can tell you more.

Current Approaches to Reducing Distracted Driving

A major source of distraction is smart phone use. When motorists should have their eyes glued to the road, many of them are holding a phone with one hand and reading a text message. Even worse, some people are tapping out their own messages as they drive their vehicles.

Several apps are already on the market that aim to reduce phone distraction for drivers. Some automatically send reply messages when the vehicle is moving. Others keep the phone shut off when the car is going above a certain threshold.

But Nate Wagner and Ryan Frankel have taken a new approach. They want to pay you for driving safely.

Carrot, Not the Stick, Approach

Wagner and Frankle devised an app called This App Saves Lives. It relies on the phone’s sensors to detect when a car is going more than 10 miles per hour, at which point the app is launched and it monitors phone usage.

For every minute that the driver uses the phone in a safe way, the driver earns one point. Points get deducted if the driver uses the phone in a dangerous way, such as to send a text or watch a video. Not all use of the phone is considered dangerous. For example, listening to music and receiving a hands-free call are not considered detrimental, so no points are deducted.

Motorists can eventually redeem their accumulated points for rewards. Rewards can be purchased at certain brand partners, such as Shake Shack. Some companies have signed on to be brand partners because they believe that it improves their image in the community.

Concerns have been raised about cheating. For example, someone riding the bus could launch the app, which would assume that they were driving when they were not. This would be an easy way to accumulate points, but the app’s owners have said they have ways to prevent this from happening.

Is the App Coming to Tennessee?

Currently, the app is only available in the Philadelphia area. Most of the brand partners are local, though Shake Shack and Urban Outfitters have a national footprint. New partners will be charged a fee, which helps the app generate revenue.

Will the app eventually touch down in Tennessee? Current plans for expansion are focused on high-density cities like Dallas, Los Angeles, and Miami, so we do not know when or if our fellow neighbors will be able to begin earning rewards for driving safely.

Has a Distracted Driver Injured You?

Burch, Morrison, & Stewart has helped accident victims in Middle Tennessee for more than a decade. Our detailed, compassionate approach allows us to effectively advocate for our clients, and we have obtained many favorable settlements. For more information, please contact us online to schedule a free consultation.