Caltrans has launched a mobile app and online game designed to teach teenagers the importance of safe driving habits and avoiding distracted driving while on the road.
The Distraction Zone Driving Game, available for free on the Google Play Store and online at DistractionZone.com, puts the player in the driver’s seat and challenges them to obey the speed limit in a virtual car while slowing down in highway work zones and avoiding phone calls and other potential distractions. The player must reach their destination before time expires.
The top five scores are eligible for a chance to win a $500 cash prize from iHeart Media, and others may win instant prizes.
Caltrans seems aware of the potential mixed message of releasing a game app, and says the game should not be played while driving.
The app was developed by Dynamic Vision Inc. of Troy, N.Y., and current has rating of 1.6 out of 5 stars on Google’s storefront.
Speeding and distracted driving are the two leading causes of fatal crashes among young drivers, Caltrans said. According to 2012 data from The National Highway Traffic Safety Association, among drivers 15 to 19 years old who were distracted in fatal crashes, nearly 1 in 5 were distracted by their phones. In 2012, speeding was a factor in 48 percent of the crashes that killed 15- to 20-year-old drivers.
This story was originally published by TechWire.
