North Little Rock, AR, January 20, 2012 -Typically, using a smartphone while driving is the last thing anyone would want to do in the interest of safe driving. But now, State Farm has made the Driver Feedback™ app available on Android devices. This free app turns a person’s cell phone into a pocket-sized driving coach when placed in the car. The application, available for Android, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, provides users with feedback about their driving habits and offers tips on how people can drive more safely.
Research shows that certain driving habits can increase the risk of a car crash. The Driver Feedback app uses the device’s accelerometer to measure three essential driving behaviors: acceleration, braking, and cornering.
Once the free app is downloaded, just place the device in a cup-holder facing forward and the system does the rest. State Farm spokesman, Gary Stephenson, states, “The data on the device is not collected by State Farm. All recorded information stays with the individual user”.
At the end of a trip, if the app has been activated, the driver is provided with a score and a log of potentially dangerous driving activities. If the app detects ‘risky’ driving behaviors, it provides the driver tips for improvement.
Key features of the new Driver Feedback app include:
Teaching Tool for Parents
The “Driver Feedback” app is particularly useful for parents teaching teens how to drive. It offers teen drivers and their parents access to useful non-biased driving feedback, to help families have constructive conversations about safe driving. State Farm believes the app can be a useful and objective tool for parents of teen drivers. Stephenson says, “We think this app can be helpful to parents as they assess their teen’s readiness for independent driving”.
State Farm says experienced drivers may benefit from this app, too. Research from the National Highway Traffic Administration indicates hard acceleration, deceleration and cornering are associated with higher crash risk. The Driver Feedback app can help identify problem areas, and provide drivers of any age with useful tips to help reduce the risk of crashes.
Information on the app remains with the user and is not collected or used by State Farm. This app is one in a series of mobile and online resources State Farm makes available to people interested in becoming better drivers. Learn more at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.statefarm.driverfeedback
Gary Stephenson, Public Affairs Specialist, (501) 615-6004.
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 43 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
