By Mark Scheer
The Tonawanda News
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In 2007, Kelly Cline lost her 20-year-old son A.J. in a texting while driving accident.
On Wednesday, she joined local officials and representatives from a Western New York company in launching a new smartphone application they hope will prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.
“The word is out there — texting while driving is deadly,” said Cline, whose son died in a car accident that West Seneca police attributed to texting while driving. “But unfortunately, teens out there think they are invincible. They think nothing will happen to them.”
Cline joined a group of state lawmakers at the Top of the Falls Restaurant on Goat Island to endorse a new software application designed to encourage positive driving habits through a rewards system. The new application, developed by a trio of Western New York entrepreneurs who own a company called Good For LYF, tracks the use of Apple iPhones and several other cellular devices whenever they are in a vehicle moving more than 15 miles per hour. The so-called Love Your Family, or LYF app, uses a cellular telephone’s internal GPS to automatically detect speed and determine if the user is driving. It also calculates points for the total amount of time the phone remains in safe, or idle mode while the vehicle is in motion. The app does not disable the phone functions so phones can still be used in emergency situations. It works on all Apple iPhone smartphones and iPads and will also be available for Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile soon. The product was developed by partners Michael Bongiovanni, a Buffalo web designer, Bret Blakely, a marketing and communications grad from Canisius College, and Elliott Winter, a Niagara County Community College alumnus and member of the North Tonawanda Zoning Board of Appeals who runs a networking consulting company. Also involved in the project are former Niagara Falls Bridge Commission vice chairman and former George Maziarz aide Richard Winter and local businessman Keith Blakely.
“Our approach to this issue is unique — instead of attempting to prevent dangerous phone use, we are trying to encourage, through positive reinforcement, safe driving behaviors,” Bret Blakely said.
The company has established an online system that would allow users of the application to exchange points earned for each minute of safe driving for various items. Right now, the company is offering gym memberships and other items obtained through local partners in the project, including the Buffalo Athletic Club and former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. The company is offering a grand prize known as the “Bushel of Apples,” which includes an iPhone, iPod and a trip for two to the Big Apple, New York City. Company officials are hoping to expand the service nationwide and say they envision a day when the rewards system will offer safe drivers discounts on car insurance and other perks.
The company reports that more than half of all U.S. drivers admit to having used a cell phone while driving and seven out of 10 say they’ve sent and received text messages while behind the wheel. The company says texting while driving makes it 23.2 times more likely that a driver will be involved in an automobile accident.
Niagara Falls Police Superintendent John Chella lauded the developers’ efforts, saying, quite simply, current enforcement efforts are simply “not working,” despite the best intentions of officers in the region and across the state who are attempting to keep tabs on a dangerous driving habit thousands engage in daily without being caught. Chella said the numbers show too many fatalities are still occurring due to careless cell phone use by drivers and he believes a rewards system could help, especially where younger drivers are involved.
“From a law enforcement standpoint, I believe this is truly the way to go,” he said.
