Reading a text message while driving was a fatal mistake for Tracy O'Carroll's daughter, Sarah.
"She died instantly. She swerved on the other side of the curve. The truck driver did everything he could to keep from hitting her," O'Carroll said.
Distracted driving of all kinds kills 100 people a year in B.C. and texting while driving is very common among younger drivers.
A Consumer Reports survey found that nearly one in three drivers under 30 had recently been texting behind the wheel.
Consumer Reports checked out several new phone apps designed to limit texting and other distractions in the car. Some, like DriveSafe.ly Pro, read text messages to you. You can answer out loud and it sends your message back as a text. That keeps your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
But it isn't perfect.
"We found that it doesn't always recognize what you're saying the first time, and repeating your commands can be annoying," Consumer Reports' Rik Paul said.
Another app called tXtblocker goes even further. Parents can install it on a teen's phone for about seven dollars a month. When the phone is in a moving car, tXtblocker blocks any incoming messages and disables the keypad.
"For a concerned parent, tXtblocker is the most effective system we've tried. But for all drivers, the best and least expensive way to stay safe is to simply turn off your phone behind the wheel," Paul said.
That's a message Tracy O'Carroll hopes will save young lives.
Consumer Reports says before buying any app or hands-free system it's important to check the product's website to be sure all of the features are compatible with your smart phone. And check with your phone carrier to see if it will offer a service to block texting while driving.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
