Chevy app uses family guilt to curb distracted driving

© Chevrolet

By Kyle Hyatt, Roadshow

If the holidays have taught us anything as a society, it's that familiar guilt is a great way to get people to do things they don't want to do. Chevy is hoping to use this fact of human nature to help curb distracted driving with its "Call Me Out" app for Android.

Weird, right? But it could be effective if you can get a few things lined up. The app uses your phone's built-in GPS and accelerometer to detect when its being moved at over five miles per hour. Once it detects that, it begins playing messages recorded by your friends and family that ideally implore you to keep your eyes on the road.

Chevy has created a new app that uses family guilt to help stop you from driving distracted.

Chevrolet

There's just one problem: A phone playing voice messages telling you to not look at it is like telling you not to think of an elephant. What's the first thing you're going to do? Think about the phone and probably look at it. Still, that could just be me being cynical.

"Today's vehicles offer a range of active safety features like Lane Keep Assist and Forward Automatic Braking that help drivers stay more aware of their surroundings," said Tricia Morrow, Chevy safety engineer. "But we also know the vehicle is only one element. Chevy's Call Me Out app gives drivers another great tool to reinforce good driving behaviors -- and as a mom of a teenage daughter, I personally know how important it is to model good driving behaviors and encourage others to do the same."

The idea for the app actually came from a group of young people at a Hackathon event who worked with Chevrolet to brainstorm ideas to curb the proliferation of distracted driving among teenagers. Chevrolet developed the app and tested it in concert with Wayne State University in Detroit.

Currently the app is for Android devices only and Chevrolet has yet to announce a version for iOS.