Smartdogs are Here to Smack Down Your Smartphone
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and GEICO is raising awareness the way it does best — with a cute advertisement.
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Meet the Smartdogs
GEICO Insurance has teamed up with The Martin Agency to create a memorable spot, in which four furry enforcers snatch smartphones right out of driver’s hands. Donning their cute little vests, they wear VR headsets, run on treadmills, and take down selfie-snapping dudes in padded suits — all in the name of safety. Have a look for yourself.
As cute as they are, let’s just hope no one gives those Smartdogs too much attention — taking your hand off the wheel to pet a dog is considered distracted driving, too.
Do Not Disturb Mode
Ultimately, the creative ad concludes that Smartdogs won’t stop distracted driving — but Do Not Disturb mode can help save lives. But what does it do?
With Do Not Disturb mode activated, your phone stays quiet and dark while you drive. If someone sends you a message, they’ll get an automated response to let them know you’re driving. If some really needs to get ahold of you, they can send the word “urgent” to make sure you get a notification.
Your phone will still deliver select notifications, like emergency alerts, timers, and alarms. If you’re using your phone for navigation, it’ll still give turn-by-turn directions and show lock-screen navigation. You can even receive select calls with Do Not Disturb, and if your phone is connected to your car, you can use your car’s buttons, microphones and speakers to communicate as usual.
Activating Do Not Disturb Mode
It’s easy to activate Do Not Disturb mode — just follow the steps below for your device.
- iOS: Navigate to your settings. From there, find the Do Not Disturb icon. Hit the switch to activate it, or have it switch on when your phone connects to your car’s infotainment system. If you’re on iOS 11 or later, you can set your phone to activate Do Not Disturb when it detects that you’re driving.
- Pixel 2/3: Open your settings and select Sound. Then choose Do Not Disturb, and make it turn on automatically. Then, add a rule by selecting “Driving” and pressing “On.”
- Android: If you’re on a non-Pixel Android smartphone, you’ll have to download Android Auto and activate Do Not Disturb mode from the app.
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Sources: Business Wire, GEICO, Apple
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.