Apple files 'lock-out' patent to stop drivers from texting

In a filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the company said texting while driving had become a 'major concern' for road safety, and cited a 2006 study which found that 80% of crashes were caused by distractions such as applying makeup, eating and texting. "New laws are being written to make texting illegal while driving," Apple said in the document. "However, law enforcement officials report that their daily ability to catch offenders is limited because the texting device can be used out of sight, thus making texting while driving even more dangerous." The patent describes how a device could determine if it was moving by looking at data from GPS, phone towers or even images from the camera. Advanced algorithms would look for a steering wheel in close proximity to the camera and search for the number of faces. Sensors would be able to determine the speed of travel to differentiate between driving and walking. Apple says the technology would even be able to tell if the user was inside a car, train carriage or bus, to prevent the limits from kicking in unnecessarily. It's clear the company has been looking at the technology for a long time (the patent was filed in 2008 but has only just been published). The suggestion now is that Apple might be looking to speed its development due to the forthcoming introduction of CarPlay – a technology dubbed the 'iPhone for the car' that allows for phone calls, GPS navigation, music and messaging via voice command or a quick tap.