KDDI, Toyota develop app to reduce road accidents

Toyota Motor, Komeda and KDDI in September have jointly developed a smartphone application called Driving Barista, aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents in Aichi Prefecture caused by drivers using their smartphones while driving.

This is the first traffic safety initiative in Japan involving a smartphone application, which is to be carried out and jointly promoted by an automobile company, a communication company, and a food and beverage company.

For thirteen consecutive years, Aichi Prefecture has had the highest rate of traffic fatalities in Japan. Furthermore, there were also 50,101 arrests involving the use of smartphones while driving, and the increase in violations of this nature has also intensified the problem.

Toyota, Komeda, and KDDI will promote traffic safety in Aichi Prefecture through an educational initiative where participation is accessible for all, and can lead to a reduction in traffic accidents.

The Driving Barista application can only be used within Aichi Prefecture. By using the gyro sensor to sense the tilt of the smartphone body, and the GPS to determine the distance driven, this application measures the distance the driver has driven while leaving the smartphone face down. When the cumulative distance reaches 100 km, the driver can receive a coupon for a cup of blended or iced coffee at a Komeda Coffee Shop.

According to one survey, approximately 60% of respondents said they use their smartphones while driving, with approximately half of these respondents keeping only one hand on the steering wheel. Therefore, the companies hope that the new application will raise drivers’ awareness about not using smartphones while driving.

“We have already been carrying out educational activities to prevent the use of smartphones while driving, and we hope that this initiative between the three companies will help solve the problem facing Aichi prefecture,” said Akira Dobashi, director in charge of CSR and environment at KDDI.

“We developed the Driving Barista smartphone application as a fun way to help prevent traffic accidents,” said Dobashi. “We hope to contribute to accident prevention by providing a new experience for drivers.”