State Farm Insurance Company will release an Android widget aimed at combating the problem of distracted driving on Monday, Aug. 23. The "On the Move" widget allows Android smartphone users to compose and preload customized messages that can be sent as automated responses to incoming text messages.
With the service, instead of reading and responding to text messages while driving or otherwise occupied, smartphone users can activate the service and let the widget respond for them. The service is free to anyone with an Android smartphone as part of State Farm's updated Pocket Agent for Android application.
"It is our hope that this widget will prevent crashes and save lives," says Laurette Stiles, Strategic Resources vice president at State Farm. "This service will help drivers manage the temptation to read or respond to text messages when they are behind the wheel. We wanted to make this widget available free-of-charge as just one of the ways we're working to keep our roadways safe for drivers."
The National Safety Council estimates that 200,000 crashes each year are caused by drivers who are texting.
With the service, Android owners can create their own responses and save them to a library for future use. The service works with all incoming texts, or can be limited to senders listed in the user's smartphone address book. Activating the service prior to driving is just one way to use the widget. Smartphone users also can use the service while in class, at the gym or in a movie.
"On the Move" users simply activate the auto-response function by turning on the widget and composing or selecting auto-response messages. Incoming text messages are still received and can be accessed in the user's inbox at any time.
The service is not available at this time on BlackBerry, Windows Mobile phone or iPhones but the State Farm development team is currently evaluating options beyond the Android offering.
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