VicRoads and the state government introduce new ‘Road Mode’ app to reduce young driver fatalities via George Patterson Y&R Melbourne
The Victorian state government today announced high profile changes to the law, banning young drivers from using their phones while driving, and announced the launch of a new free app to all Victorians that will prevent phone use while driving. GPY&R Melbourne are behind the concept and development of ‘Road Mode’ for client VicRoads.
GPY&R created a new tool that allows drivers to change their behavior behind the wheel, whilst educating their friends too; Road Mode, a new function that prevents you from being distracted by your phone whilst you drive.
When you turn Road Mode on, your ring tones are deactivated on all incoming calls and SMS messages. So, when people call or text, they receive one of a series of automated text messages from your phone that educates them of the dangers of driving while on the phone.
These texts are from a range of educational messages that are randomly selected by Road Mode. Each message also directs people to download Road Mode themselves. In this way, each Road Mode message also becomes an ad for road safety.
When you switch Road Mode off, you receive a call log that notifies you of all the calls and messages you have missed while driving safely. And if you forget to turn Road Mode off, the phone’s GPS will determine when you’ve stopped for ten minutes, and automatically return your phone back to full functionality.
Agency: GPY&R Melbourne
Executive Creative Director: Ben Coulson
Senior Writer: Alex Wadelton
Art Director: Ant Simmons
Y&R Group Managing Director: Steve Doherty
Digital Producer: Tim Lelek
Technical Director: Brendan McMahon
Mobile Application Developer: Billy Chang
Digital Designer: Kota Matsuda
19 Comments
Good to see Patt’s is scouring the globe for their ideas…
http://www.ygaward.com/showcase2011/detail/id/162
This an Schweppes. Not good
Where can I download this app for my iPhone?
I need this app .where do we get it please
Phil
WTF that is exactly the same as that YGAward entry.
I like the sentiment and the fact they’re using comms money to build something sort of useful. Trying to offer a solution, rather than just advertising the punishment.
However you’re asking them to download an app to change a behaviour they don’t want to change. It needs to be build into the architecture of the phone to work, otherwise it’s just public lip-service.
Sprint have done this:
https://drivefirst.sprint.com/welcome.htm
So I download an app, then activate it before I drive in order to render my phone inoperable.
Phones do come with an off button, right?
Sorry just checked it out more. With the new laws coming in this isn’t a bad idea. Nice one
You could just turn it off.
This function is already present in some Samsung smart phones.
Except they call it Drive Mode.
That probably makes it quite different then…
Originality aside, it’s a good thing for society. A win for the government, probably not for Patts though.
I don’t think anyone is claiming this is a ‘first’. And I’m sure GPY&R wouldn’t enter it in anything. That’s not the point though. The point is it just might save some distracted driver from killing themselves or someone else. I hope people download it. I hope it and everything else being done around this issue helps.
It’s way too similar. Even down to the wording of the text message. Embarrassing.
It’s not the fist to do this kind of thing, but if you look at the Sprint one, it’s really bad and requires you to live in the US be a sprint customer, pay a subscription and it works off our internet account, not phone.. Rode mode is a much better version, free to everyone, and the way it makes the text messages the advertising is a great idea.
I reckon it’s a great idea, and name too.
My guess is that it will never be available for iPhone as Apple don’t allow apps that mess with the iPhone’s functionality.
Massive target market missing out I’d say.
Apple would be retarded not to quickly adapt this for iPhone!
IPhone already have this feature under Settings called Do Not Disturb