Office of Highway Safety partners in launching Drive Safe Mode app
to combat distracted driving

Turns out, mobile phones can actually be instruments of improved highway safety. Well, not the phones so much as the app that can be downloaded to negate them.

Through the Drive Safe Mode app, parents can remotely disable the phones of their teenagers — or any family member they think may be engaged in distracted driving. The Drive Safe Mode app is easy to install (go to KBOI for instructions), allows a number of phones to be added under each administrator, and provides for up to five emergency numbers that are allowed to call each phone when the app is turned on.

Distracted driving is a major problem in Idaho. In the last five years, crashes classified as "distracted" — caused by inattention or a distraction in the vehicle — number more than 25,000. There have been more than 220 deaths caused by distracted driving in Idaho in that same period.

With that history as a backdrop, ITD's Office of Highway Safety departed from the typical approach and adopted a more aggressive stance to battle the problem.

In mid-August, ITD partnered in launching an app and the first in a series of videos that over the next 12 months will specifically target driver behaviors that contribute to an inordinate number of crashes. The first video, produced by KBOI Channel 2 with reporter Kelsey Anderson voicing the effort, was posted to ITD's Facebook page Aug. 25. Within the first three hours, it had already been viewed 315 times. ITD's Facebook page is linked to the department's Twitter account, exposing the message to another 6,000 people.

Here's a link to the video: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153262447890547

The video is the main component of the Drive Safe Mode app developed for smart phones.

"Traditionally, to combat distracted driving we advise drivers to keep their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and their minds on the task of driving," said Office of Highway Safety Manager John Tomlinson. "Now, we also have the Drive Safe Mode app."

"We appreciate any partnership that allows us to save lives on Idaho highways," he added.

"We will focus primarily on distracted driving throughout the year, but also whatever emphasis area we are working on at the time, for example during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, we will be focusing on impaired driving," Josephine Middleton explained. The project is being managed by Mary Burke, the Impaired Driving Program manager, and Middleton, who manages the Aggressive Driving, Distracted Driving, Motorcycle Safety, Bicycle Safety and Pedestrian Safety programs for OHS.

OHS began discussions in May with KBOI. "We decided to become partners in the promotion after they agreed to expand the focus to include all highway-safety focus areas which also includes aggressive driving, impaired driving, occupant protection, motorcycle safety, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.

"They approached us, and we agreed to be a sponsor because we saw huge potential to help bring awareness in the community about highway-safety issues by providing 12 months of exposure as opposed to our typical 2-week media campaigns" Middleton explained.

"We are working with KBOI to help promote safe driving through this app, community programming and PSAs focused on a variety of highway-safety topics," said Burke. "During the 12 months of the contract, they will interview subject-matter experts who will be featured on news stories and community programming."

The app was developed by Sinclair Media, and is being promoted by CBS-affiliated stations such as KBOI. The Treasure Valley market is the first market where they've partnered with a government entity, as well as the private sector. The Gentry Ford car dealership is also a partnering in promoting the app in Idaho. KBOI is providing all of the PSAs and earned media coverage as part of the overall package.

Here's the link to the KBOI Drive Safe page:http://sbg.kboi2.com/news/features/drive-safe/


Published 09-11-15