Related: April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Created by Louisville based Mobile Life Solutions, LLC, TextLimit is a smartphone application that blocks touchscreen and calling functions, other than 911. This feature activates once the user reaches a certain speed. The National Governors Highway Safety Association and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet promotes this app in observance of the National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I also support this app. It could help reduce the number of accidents caused by texting and driving. The app has an annual subscription fee of $24.99, but the app is available for free to Kentucky residents. Just simply log-on to TextLimit’s site and use the coupon code NOTEXTKY.
Through using TextLimit, we can definitely save lives. Speaking of smartphone apps, if you see drunk drivers on the road, you can use another smartphone app called “No DUI Kentucky.” This application allows you to report drunk drivers to the Kentucky State Police (KSP) using a one-touch dialing feature.
Related: DUI No More Due To A Phone App?
Focus on the road
While these apps are meant to save lives, it’s important to always pay attention to the road. Unexpected events happen all the time. For example, Kentucky has many roads that are surrounded by trees. A deer could jump out in front of you. This is a dangerous situation even when you are focused on the road. With that in mind, how would you expect to avoid the deer if you are looking down at your cell phone? Odds are, you won’t. We can’t emphasis this enough, please put down your cell phone. Better yet, put your cell phone away so it won’t distract you as you drive.
What happens if you are caught texting while driving in Kentucky?
If you are caught using your cell phone in Kentucky, you will be pulled over. Texting while driving is considered a “primary” law. This means that if a police officer witnesses you texting, they can pull you over then and there. If that wasn’t bad enough, you will have to pay fines. For the first offense, the fine is $25. These fines increase as the number of offenses increase. This may not seem like a large fine, but you are also responsible for court costs.
Please put your phones away. The text message you were trying to read may be sort, but it only takes a few seconds to be in an accident. Accidents are life changing. Don’t text and drive.