Toyota introduces safe-driving app that plays parents music when teens speed
- Tuesday, August 15th, 2017
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Toyota Europe has teamed up with creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi London to launch a smartphone app that deters teens from speeding or using their phones while driving.
The Safe & Sound app needs to be downloaded by both the teen and their parent(s), and then paired.
It uses Google Maps API technology to detect when the car is moving over 9mph, and blocks off all social media notifications and incoming calls at this point. In addition, and perhaps the best part, the app syncs the teen’s Spotify account with their parent’s – so, if the driver touches their phone or exceeds a certain speed limit, their music will cut off and their parent’s playlist will start playing instead. The music returns to the driver’s own playlist once they stop touching their phone or return to the speed limit.
“We have a safety-first approach globally and it is our mission to one day eliminate all road accidents. Because we truly believe in safety as a company, we decided to actually do something about it. Above and beyond our products,” said Dario Giustini, senior manager of brand & communications at Toyota Europe. “The Safe and Sound app will hopefully help to raise awareness especially among young drivers about the dangers of improper mobile phone use in the car. This app is not just available for Toyota drivers but for anyone and everyone on the roads.”
The free app, which has been released to coincide with school and university summer holidays, is only available on Android devices through the Play Store.