After rolling into Google’s mobile platform last month, the Automatic Smart Driving Assistant companion app for Android is getting a bump to version 1.0 this week with the addition of two new safety features — Crash Alert and Do Not Disturb.
The app works with the $99 Automatic Link accessory (pictured), which plugs into your car’s data port to learn your driving style and give you audio cues to help you drive more efficiently and save money on gas. And now, it should also help you stay safe behind the wheel and get emergency assistance if you’ve been involved in a serious accident.
“Helping people drive safer is a big part of our mission,” Automatic’s Duncan Carroll 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 Android update, released Wednesday, also brings an exclusive new Do Not Disturb feature, which silences incoming tests, notifications, and phone calls when you drive. It can also auto-reply to callers with a text message to let them know you’re busy behind the wheel.
“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,” Carroll wrote. “Automatic on Android can take the temptation away.”
The new Do Not Disturb feature is only available on Android “because of that platform’s special capabilities,” he added.
The Automatic system works with devices running Android 4.0 and above in gasoline cars sold in the U.S. since 1996. For a complete list of supported cars, head over to Automatic’s
