10 Tips for Texting While you Drive

Communicating via text has become the primary means of communication for many people. Part of the reason relates to the phone plans that have unlimited texting. In these plans, minutes for voice calls are limited, but you can communicate as much as you like without any fear of creating overage charges. This dependence on texting can easily carryover to communicating by text while driving. This practice can be quite dangerous, of course, and illegal in some states. Here are 10 tips for texting while you drive.

1. DON’T! – This is the first and most sensible tip. To try and operate a keyboard on your cellphone and operate a motor vehicle at the same time is dangerous for you and for others. Automobiles out of control kill people. There is no text that is worth the cost of a life.
2. Passenger Relay– If you have someone else riding in the car with you, dictate the message to them and have them do the texting on your phone for you. That way you keep your eyes on the road, your hands on the wheel and everyone safe.
3. Pull over and stop – Instead of sending a text while you’re driving, wait until you can pull off the road safely and type and send your text while the car is in park.
4. Voice call – A text doesn’t always need to be responded to by another text. It is much easier to make a voice call while driving, especially if you use a bluetooth headset which keeps both hands free while talking.

Install one of these apps and they will convert your speech to text so that you don’t have to look down, or use your hands for typing.

1. FlexT9 – This is an app for Android phones that is put out by Nuance, the makers of Dragonspeak voice recognition software. The app will convert your verbal speech into text for texting, email, facebook and twitter updates. Keep your eyes on the orad and simply talk into your phone and then send.
2. Voice Text Pro – For your iPhone, this is one of several apps available that will convert your speech to text. This one is specifically designed for texting, which makes it much more user friendly for texting than those that are designed to work with a variety of applications.
3. Vlingo – This voice to text application is available for most cellphone operating systems, iOS, Android, Nokia, Blackberry and Windows Mobile. It isn’t limited to texting. Simply tell the phone what you want, text, email, search, get directions. It makes your smartphone even smarter.
4. DriveSafe.ly– This app goes beyond the speech to text apps already listed. You are not only able to use your voice to create and send a text, when this app is activated, it will read incoming text and emails to you when they are received. This app truly gives your phone handsfree operation. It is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones.
5. StartTalking – For Android phones, they have this app option that provides the voice-to-text and text-to-voice option. Have your text read to you and then respond by voice that will be sent as text.
6. Voice on the Go – Instead of being an app that you upload to your phone, this voice to text option is a monthly service which works with any phone, including a landline, to convert voice messages into text or email.

There really is no reason why anyone should be attempting to use their hands for texting while also trying to drive a vehicle. A simple app combined with a bluetooth headset can make the process much safer, and allowing your conversations to wait until you are not driving will make them safer yet.

Taken From Wireless Internet Reviews