By Jennifer Newman, Motherproof.com
If you worry about your teen using their cell phone while driving, Sprint has an app for you.
Called Drive First, it automatically locks most smartphone functions while driving.
The app starts at speeds over 10 mph, as determined by GPS coordinates and cell tower triangulation. Once in lockdown mode, Drive First disables phone functions, email and text alerts. All incoming calls are sent to voicemail, and any text messages send an auto-reply to the sender notifying them you are driving. (The auto-reply can be customized.)
You won’t regain access to your phone until the car has completely stopped moving for a few minutes, to account for stop-and-go traffic.
If you really want access to your phone while driving, there is an exit button as well as a 911 button that overrides the app. However, it can be set to notify parents of any override commands while driving.
The service costs Sprint subscribers an extra $2 a month per phone. For now, it only works with Sprint smartphones running the Android operation system, though BlackBerry devices will be compatible in the future.
