New Device and Application Aim to Reduce Cell Phone Car Accidents

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 21, 2014

A new device and software application under development by three Florida men may help reduce distracted driving accidents in Florida and across the country. The three Bradenton entrepreneurs, Chris Tunmore, Andrew Britt and Roger Pellew, recently announced that their Smart Dash app and driver information system will soon be available for sale. Tunmore has some extra incentive to get the product on the market, as he has a 17-year-old daughter who just started driving. Like many teens, his daughter is addicted to her smartphone and Tunmore feels that their product can help protect her and others from being injured or killed in cell phone car accidents.

If it works well, this product could not come at a better time. According to distracted driving accident statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 3,300 people in the U.S. died in car accidents caused by "distracted driving" in 2012. The DOT found that ten percent of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal auto accidents were distracted by their cell phone at the time of the accident.

"We give them a phone and then we give them keys to a 3,000 or 4,000-pound car and we say ‘Please don’t use the phone,’" Tunmore said.

Smart Dash is expected to sell for less than $500, which will be far more affordable than products currently in development by major auto manufacturers that are expected to add thousands to the cost of a new car in coming years. The system will include a driver behavior feature that allows the owner to track the habits of anyone driving their car, as well as other drivers’ habits, including data on speeds, maneuvering and other driving habits.

The entrepreneurs are hopeful that their new product will be available by the beginning of 2015 and believe that it could save lives and drastically reduce cell phone vehicle accidents. Voice recognition software will allow drivers to use a smartphone or tablet computer connected to the device to send and receive texts and email and conduct hands-free phone conversations while driving. The device will also provide real-time traffic and weather information to drivers.

Orlando cell phone car accident lawyers support any software and devices that reduce distracted driving accidents but cautions readers that the best and least expensive method to prevent accidents is to turn cell phones completely off while driving. No text, email, or phone conversation is so important that it must be read or heard while driving. Please help make Florida roadways safer for everyone by turning off your phone every time you get behind the wheel. It only takes a moment to make a mistake that you will regret for the rest of your life.

If you, or a loved one have been injured in a cell phone auto accident, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) for a free initial consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.