New Driving App Gives Users Free Coffee If Phones Go Untouched

More people glance at their cell phones while driving than they’d like to admit. As quick as a simple look would take, a split-second of losing focus could mean life or death on the road.

Toyota’s concern for this dilemma was clear when they recently collaborated with a mobile phone company to release a new app in Japan that gives drivers an incentive to keep from glancing at their phones, reports RocketNews 24.

Called the Driving Barista, the app tracks how long your phone remains facedown as you drive. If a consecutive 100 kilometers (62 miles) are reached, you earn yourself a free coffee from Japanese coffee chain Komeda Coffee. You get more coffee as more miles accumulate.

Using the phone’s GPS and internal gyroscope, drivers will find it difficult to cheat themselves to a free cup of joe. Just keep your eyes on the road and you’ll get your caffeine fix.

This isn’t the first time a brand has incorporated smart technology to keep consumers from looking at their phones when they’re not supposed to.

Hopefully, the Driving Barista sees some success in Japan. We sure could use something similar in the US. Though it’s alarming to think that we need an incentive to detach ourselves from our phones.