Last year the number of fatal auto accidents reached a record high in the US. Despite unclear data, mobile devices are suspected to be a main factor in these accidents.
Mobile phone addiction is real and the consequences are deadly when people use their phone while driving. Big tech companies have developed sophisticated tools to prevent these deaths but is seems they don’t implement them for fear of seeing a decrease in profits.
Almost 10 years ago, Apple submitted a patent for a technology that had the capacity to disable any function of a handheld computing device that may interfere with safe driving. While submitting the license in 2008, Apple stated “Texting while driving has become so widespread that it is doubtful that law enforcement will have any significant effect on stopping the process.” For unknown reasons, the license was not issued until 2014. For whatever reason, Apple never deployed it.
It’s fair to say that Apple, and other tech companies have kept these technologies from the public for fear of their bottom line.
The wireless industry fully understands the risks of drivers using their phones but have chosen to ignore them. Not only do they support the idea that it is the full responsibility of the driver to avoid the use of their phone while driving, they also lobby to kill proposed federal guidelines preventing distracted driving. The purpose of the federal guidelines is to provide a safety framework for the wireless industry to use when developing visual-manual user interfaces for their systems. However, it appears the wireless industry doesn’t want to implement the technology.
The opposition is lead by two trade groups that include Apple, Google, Samsung, Qualcomm, AT&T and Verizon: the Consumer Technology Association, which represents 2,200 companies and the CITA (formerly known as the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association).
In the past, personal injury lawsuits have proven to be an effective catalyst to force corporations to make their products safer. However, so far, several lawsuits against Apple involving distracted driving were all dismissed.
Until these tech companies agree to implement proven technology to decrease the distraction of phones while driving, we will continue to see record breaking death and injury while behind the wheel.