This Phone App Knows When You’re Driving

University researchers say their new smartphone application can tell if the user is in the driver's seat and therefore limit phone services accordingly to reduce distraction.

The app, which was developed by engineers at Rutgers and Stevens Institute of Technology, uses the vehicle's audio system to triangulate the location of the cell phone.

If the app determines a phone is being used by the driver, it could take several steps to reduce distraction. It could divert and store incoming calls and text messages, for example. It also could disable outgoing text or limit outgoing calls to a short list of one-button speed dial numbers.

The software prompts the phone to generate high-pitched beeps and transmit them through the auto system via Bluetooth to each speaker. The phone's microphone then measures when the beeps return, using differences in the timing to determine position.

The engineers say the technology works with two-channel audio systems but is more accurate with four-channel setups. They say it eventually could be tuned to determine whether a phone user was in a front or rear seat.

The app is 90% accurate in lab tests but has not yet been tested in a moving vehicle, where acoustics aren't as clear. The engineers note that their software would as currently designed must be activated by the driver to work.