New apps fight in-car texting impulses

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Sometimes you need help to protect yourself from you.

New products are now available to help you resist the temptation of cell phones and text messaging while driving.

The National Safety Council now estimates that 28 percent of U.S. car crashes are related to those distractions. That amounts to 6,000 deaths and half a million injuries a year.

There are more than 3,200 such crashes a year in Texas, averaging more than two dozen deaths.

New apps can help. Zoom Safer, for instance,  puts your phone in safe mode and locks your screen and keypad. You can still make and receive "hands free" phone calls.

Another new app is IZUP. Once your car is moving, phone calls automatically go to voice mail and text messages to a save file. It also has an emergency button that can call 911 and send out a Google map of the car's exact location.

Amy Sue Major is a mom with a teenage daughter now driving, and she says, "I'll definitely be getting it. I mean why wouldn't you put something that easy on your phone that could potentially save your life?"

Texas is among 28 states now cracking down on text messaging. Austin police began enforcing the city's new "n- texting" law in February and have since issued 37 citations.