With all this discussion about "distracted driving", articles like this one by David Coursey in Computer World are coming to the same conclusions as we did. 

"Better speech technology could make texting while driving more than dangerous, it would become obsolete. No longer would it be necessary for a driver to read teensy words from a tiny screen or type using an equally downsized keyboard--these could be replaced by simply talking and listening".

With speech recognition based services there's no need for a keypad, you just use your voice to say what you want to do.  For example, to make a call using Voice Assist you just say "Call" followed by the name of a person in your address book, or to send a text message you say "Text" and the name of the person.  Voice Assist also allows you to use simple speech commands to listen and reply to your email.  So for example, you can say" next" and "previous" to navigate through the list of emails, and "reply" to compose a message back.

Simple speech commands make it really easy to things done.  No keypad required.

The recent Virgina Tech Transportation Institute report has brought the hazards of texting while driving back into the spotlight.  Now legislators across the country are talking a nationwide ban.

According to an article by KEN THOMAS, Associated Press, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Kay Hagan of North Carolina plan to unveil legislation to require states to ban texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle while driving.

"The federal government ought to pass a law banning this dangerous and growing practice to protect the millions of Americans on our nation's roads. It is a matter of public safety," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

The legislation would require states to ban texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle or lose 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding. It would be patterned after the way the Congress required states to adopt a national drunken driving ban.

The transportation secretary would be required to issue guidelines within six months of the measure being signed into law, and states then would have two years to approve the bans on texting and driving.  The bill would target the activity in a moving vehicle and not prohibit a driver from texting or e-mailing in a stopped car.

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have already passed laws making texting while driving illegal.

Next time you're driving past a truck on the highway check to see if he/she is texting.  A recent in-cab study of truckers by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute showed the risks associated with texting is greater than previous thought.  They found that when the drivers texted, their risk of collision was 23 times higher than when not texting.

The primary reason?  The time the drivers take their eyes off the road to text.  In just 5 seconds, the typical time spent looking at the device, a lot can happen when travelling at speed on a busy highway. 

So even though texting is not illegal in all States, think twice about it next time you need to send a text, and consider voice texting to ensure your eyes stay on the road.

Mike Keefe's cartoon in the Denver Post today, showed the lighter side of driver distraction!

In the news this week, the story of a girl who fell down a manhole while sending a text message (WWT - walking while texting).  It's one of many stories about accidents happening while people are trying to text and do something else at the same time.  Clearly, when you're looking at the phone's screen, you're not paying attention to the other things around you.

So while we talk alot about voice texting being valuable in the car, it's equally valuable when you're walking, running, or biking and need to send a text message.  Yes, even biking!  We had one of our staff try out Voice Assist while he was riding his bike.  We like to be thorough with our testing!