Samsung's new app will help drivers stay focused on the road

With mobile technology becoming more of a prominent part of our lives, it is harder to seperate times when we should and should not be using a phone. Driving is one of those times when we should NOT be using a handheld device, and Samsung agrees.

A Samsung subsidiary company by the name of Samsung Electronics Benelux B.V. is working to create an app called In-Traffic Reply. Simple in nature, the app will automatically activate when it detects the user is traveling via the phone’s GPS. Once activated, incoming calls and texts will be sent an automated reply. This can be a default message (“I’m driving, so I cannot answer at the moment.”), a fun, animated response, or even a custom message that the user sets.

It is unclear at the moment, but assumed that if you are the passenger of a vehicle you will be able to turn off this feature temporarily. Also, this isn’t exactly a revolutionary new idea, as apps such as SMS Auto Reply in the Play Store have been doing it for years now. Even Android Auto has a similar feature. However, I still want to give credit to Samsung for creating something to help drivers be safe. If this helps even just one person, it will be worth it.

In-Traffic Reply is currently in beta, and Samsung says the full version will launch in the Google Play Store sometime around mid-May.

How do you stay safe on the roads? Personally I am a big fan of the standalone Android Auto app. It has the ability to do various tasks via voice such as read out texts, make calls, or even check the weather. This way I can still keep up-to-date with the information that I need on my commute while keeping my eyes on the road.