The 1.0 release of the Automatic app for Android, designed to work with the Automatic Link device, introduces the Crash Alert feature and the Android-exclusive Do not Disturb feature.
The Automatic Link device collects information about your car and sends it to your smartphone, where users can then browse through the data using a simple and easy-to-understand interface. The gadget informs you of driving habits that waste fuel, connects to your car's onboard computer to determine engine issues, and reminds you where you parked your car. The device can also give drivers a numeric Driving Score after collecting sufficient data.
The update to Automatic for Android was announced by the company in its official blog.
Crash Alert determines if the vehicle that the Automatic Link device is connected to is involved in an accident. Once an accident occurs, emergency services are notified with details of the accident, including the location. Crash Alert also sends notification to family or friends, depending on the settings of the user and also informs them that emergency services are on their way to the site of the accident.
The Crash Alert feature was only previously available on the iOS version of the Automatic app and not on the beta Android version that was released last April.
The Do not Disturb feature, however, is exclusive for Android. This feature basically keeps the smartphone silent while the vehicle is moving. If the user receives any calls, a message is sent to the caller to say that the user is currently driving. Other incoming communications such as e-mails and instant messaging are muted. However, while Automatic strongly recommends that users keep themselves from using their phone while behind the wheel, they can still operate their smartphone to answer incoming communications if they have to.
Automatic has not revealed whether it is planning to bring the Do not Disturb feature to the iOS version of the app.
The Do not Disturb feature was created as a deterrent to driver distraction, which has been a focus of regulators for U.S. road safety. Road safety is slowly gaining priority in in-car technology development, which could be spurred even further by a proposed U.S. government action that will require car manufacturers to install new technology in their cars that would warn drivers if they are at risk of an accident.
The Automatic Link device has a retail price of $99, and the Automatic app is available in the Google Play Store.
