JUSTAPPS TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHES MOBILE TEXTING APP TO HELP FAMILIES CREATE RESPONSIBLE DRIVING HABITS
JustDrive! Addresses the Issue of Texting While Driving with App Tools for Parents to Coach and Mentor Young Drivers on the Alarming and Increasing Dangers of Texting Behind the Wheel
DALLAS, Texas – April 22, 2011 – JustApps Technology today announced the release of their mobile texting application, JustDrive! The application helps parents protect their young drivers and helps them to create and follow responsible driving habits. JustDrive! also helps auto fleet owners track and manage drivers’ cell and texting habits while driving on company time and in company vehicles. JustDrive! is the only text monitoring program compatible with all three major mobile platforms: the iPhone®, the Android® and Blackberry®, with the goal of making the app available to as many mobile users as possible. The app will be available on Android in May of 2011, and will be available in June of 2011 on the iPhone. Blackberry mobile users can launch the JustDrive! app on their phones at the end of September 2011.
The app addresses the alarmingly increasing issue of texting while driving and the three main distractions that hinder responsible driving: visual (eyes on the road), manual (hands on the steering wheel), and cognitive (mind on your driving). “Being distracted and taking your eyes off the road for a second or more while driving is dangerous, but texting is most alarming because it involves looking at something else besides the road, using your hands to text instead of having them on the wheel and engaging your mind on the text to write and send the message, all at the same time,” says Brian Mitchell, CEO for JustApps Technology. According to the University of Utah, using a cell phone while driving, whether hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver’s reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08%.
The basic JustDrive! plan and functions are free and the app provides a daily report via email to parents or owners (also known as administrators) indicating a texting violation (s) while driving has occurred. Premium upgrades are at an additional cost, and offer administrators a view into cell usage, speed of the car during texting, geographical location of the car, distance and other activities. “The basic, free version of the app, and the select group of features it offers, is a first step to protecting young drivers and others on the road,” offers Darren Woodson, former Dallas Cowboy safety, current ESPN and NFL Live analyst and Chief Sales Officer at JustApps Technology.
“As texting and the usage of cell phones continue to explode in popularity, so have the fatalities and distraction-related accidents,” says Ryan Schmitz, JustApps’ Chief Marketing Officer. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports those drivers who use handheld devices are four times more likely to cause a serious injury crash than those who don’t. The federal government estimates that in 2009, 5,474 people were killed and an additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported by police to have involved distracted driving. The government estimates that 18 percent of these deaths and five percent of these injuries involved cellphones.
“We all have a stake in the safety of our children,” says Woodson. ”The statistics are scary; innocent people are being killed and injured. If this technology can prevent one accident or death, help one family or young driver by educating them on the dangers of texting behind the wheel, then it’s all worthwhile.” For his part, Woodson understands first-hand the dangers of texting while driving. Four years ago, Woodson was forced off the road by a young driver texting behind the wheel.
The Android version of Just Drive! will be available for download on Monday, April 25th. The iPhone version will be available on May 9th. Be sure to Follow JustDrive! on Twitter!
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About JustApps Technology
JustApps Technology, a Dallas, Texas based company leverages the talents of a unique group of designers, engineers and project managers who are passionate about the safe use of cell phones for all users worldwide. Their collective passion and collaboration has resulted in a mobile app solution that helps deter drivers from texting behind the wheel.
For more information, press only:
Ryan Schmitz, Chief Marketing Officer, JustApps Technology; rschmitz@justappstech.com, EDT
Danielle MacDonald, MAC4 Communications, +1 610-409-2522; dani@mac4comm.com, EDT
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Watch Darren Woodson Talk About The Dangers of Texting While Driving
