The Automatic Smart Driving Assistant companion app has been updated with two new safety features called "Do Not Disturb" and "Crash Alert".
The app was first introduced by Google last month, according to PC Magazine. The device works with the Automatic Link, which the user must plug into the car's data port for it to function. The $99 accessory helps motorists learn their driving style and provides audio cues to help them drive better, while saving gas and money.
The addition of the two features also aims at keeping drivers safe by helping them get emergency assistance when involved in a serious accident.
"Helping people drive safer is a big part of our mission," Duncan Carroll from Automatic wrote in a blog post Tuesday. "Crash Alert, now available for both iOS and Android, can detect serious crashes and notify local authorities with your location, even if you can't. An Automatic agent will even stay on the line with you until help arrives and contact your loved ones to let them know what's happened."
The "Do Not Disturb" mode lets drivers automatically silence their phones' noises while driving, which makes looking at text messages less likely, thus reducing the risk of distraction, according to CNET.
The mode also lets app reply automatically to incoming calls with a canned response that lets the caller know the user is busy driving.
Carroll mentioned in the post the importance of not using phones while driving, PC Magazine reported.
"We all know we shouldn't use our phones when we drive. It's dangerous, and distracted driving causes over a million accidents every year. But when a message comes in, let's be honest, it's hard to resist," he wrote. "Automatic on Android can take the temptation away."
"Do Not Disturb" is currently only available on the Android version of the app, CNET reported. The developer has not mentioned whether the feature will be added to the iOS version.
Automatic can be downloaded now in the Google Play Store.
