If you’re driving faster than 10 mph, you’ll have a hard time using your Android smartphone if Sprint Drive First is installed on the device. The new Android app from Sprint Nextel Corp. automatically locks a mobile phone when a car is moving more than 10 mph. The app will disable phone functionality, direct incoming calls to voice mail and silence distracting alerts for emails and text messages.
Sprint is positioning the new app as an approach to reduce distracted driving related crashes. The carrier also cited statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that concluded at least 20% of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.
Sprint Drive First is built by Location Labs and is now available on all CDMA-powered Android smartphones on Sprint’s network. The service will cost $2 per month and will soon be expanded to other operating systems, including BlackBerry devices, in the coming months. All Android smartphones released after late in the third quarter will come with Sprint Drive First preinstalled.
“Sprint Drive First is another action Sprint is taking to encourage its customers to use their phones responsibly behind the wheel,” said David Owens, VP of product development at Sprint. “We want to help our customers arrive at their destination. Texting while driving makes drivers four times more likely to crash their car. The person you want to call or text will be there when you get done with your drive; we want to make sure that you are, too.”