[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

The head unit can include a motion sensor which can be used to disable the launch of the apps or kill the app if its running. It possible to do it. But most manufacturers will not because that will affect their sales.

This problem is more pronounced in mobiles. Auto / Taxi drivers using mobile phones and watching videos. There is no way for the app/phone to know if the person is actually driving or not.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

This problem is more pronounced in mobiles. Auto / Taxi drivers using mobile phones and watching videos. There is no way for the app/phone to know if the person is actually driving or not.

True. It is very difficult to implement in mobiles because a passenger can also be watching the reels,netflix etc.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by navin

How does one do this? What if one is chauffeured or in a train?

Train is easy, GPS can determine if the location is on a train line.

For chauffeur situation, AI in the Video app using the front and rear camera combo can detect if the screen is facing the driver. That should check every 5 second to ensure driver is not watching the video while moving.

[jensjoseph]

I've noticed this trend and it is indeed scary. Although very rare, I've seen some Swiggy/Zomato/Blinkit riders watching reels if they know the delivery location very well.

I've seen cab drivers in Bangalore watch reels or Youtube shorts at signals and the videos continue even after the signal turns green. I've seen the same when driving behind them too and it does seem their concentration is divided between the road and the screen as they drive slowly.

[zyksstar]

The worse trend here in Mumbai has been that offenders do not even try to be discreet while doing this. Helmet-less bikers with phone tucked between ear and shoulder, or the phone held in one hand and gaze at the screen, is such a common sight. Traffic cops are either absent or do not bother to interfere.
The least they can do is use those cameras they use to book stop line violations. Not sure why there is no motivation to curb this menace..

[Mystic]

Thank God our Indian cab drivers donot compete with other cab drivers in SE Asia as in Hong Kong etc. In HK, some have multiple smart phones stuck on the dashboard. It is not for watching multiple reels simultaneously. I think they use it for multiple purposes professionally. Some phones may suggest detour as per traffic. Some may be suggesting multiple customers across different platforms in which driver is a member. Multitasking to do a complex job is OK as long it doesn't distract the driver from safety point of view. Watching reels etc is a big NO and it is very easy to track such cars using sophisticated HD cameras we have these days on the roads with AI.

[DigitalOne]

This is a huge menace. I once saw a KSRTC Volvo driver watching IPL on his phone and asked him to please shut it off. He berated me to mind my own business, and I left it.

Originally Posted by Samurai

For chauffeur situation...

The chauffeur situation can also be handled by throttling video download speeds when the phone is in motion. Unthrottling can be allowed on explicit customer request. This will ensure that there is a request log on the telecom provider end which will be useful in case of accidents as to who asked for it (i.e. driver or passenger). Unthrottling requests can also be then restricted (for e.g. 2 requests per day).

Drivers will find workaround to this, I am sure, but it just makes it more difficult for them.

[Rohitthebest]

This is one unfortunate thing that we have to live with. I believe there is no solution but self-control. My phone is always connected via Bluetooth to my car's head unit, so I never have take my eyes off the road while talking on a call. Unfortunately, almost every third two-wheeler rider, almost every autowallah and cab wallah, is on call/video-watching spree while riding or driving. Yesterday, my cabbie picked me up from the Airport and put a YouTube video playlist for my entertainment on the central head unit while I was seated in the backseat. I had to tell him politely that I needed to make some calls, so he might have to turn it off He wasn't happy but agreed to drive me for 20 minutes to my home.

[anilsurya1985]

I can't deny a single point mentioned in the OP. Cell phone driving has become fashion these days Autowalas constantly on Youtube or Instagram watching shorts and 4 wheeler drivers on call and not maintaining speeds according to the lane they are driving in.

Also I'm seeing a worse trend these days that the after market head units are allowing to play Youtube and other streaming apps while the vehicle is moving, this is serious safety issue and yet Transport authorities don't have any control over these manufacturers of these accessories.

[parik_ind]

Watching videos or reels while driving or riding is becoming more common, and it’s not limited to a specific type of vehicle or profession. But honestly, this is just one symptom of a larger issue—the general disregard for rules, both in letter and spirit, in our country.

It’s not just about watching a screen while piloting a vehicle. Riding on footpaths, driving on the wrong side of the road, overloading vehicles, speeding to deliver orders, jumping signals—all of it comes down to the same mindset: we just don’t care enough. And there’s always a justification. Someone might say they’re watching reels while driving to make extra money, or that they’re in a hurry and need shortcuts, or that overloading vehicles is necessary because they can’t afford a bigger one.

Technology can help, but only to a point. We already have AI-enabled cameras monitoring traffic violations, but people still jump signals. Pedestrian walkways exist, yet people cross wherever they want because walking an extra 200–300 meters is too much trouble. We speed on expressways but slow down when we spot a speed camera. Sure, at some point, there might be tech to stop people from watching videos while driving, but there will always be a workaround. Right?

The real issue is our deep-rooted jugaad and dekha jayega attitude. Until there’s a fundamental shift in how we view rules, meaningful change isn’t happening.

Parikshith

[svsantosh]

In UAE, I work right next to a 120Kmph freeway (takes 1km to join via a 40, 60, 80 then the freeway) - 15kms to downtown where I exit to home. Alarmingly I am seeing many drivers clipping a mobile holder in landscape mode just above the speedo and watching video/netflix/movies while zooming back and forth, their home to work. Seeing the car next lane watching videos and zooming at 120ks makes my stomach churn - they are just a 'jumpscare' (pun intended) reel away from causing a pile up.

Scary days Indeed!

[CmdrShepard]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

While it is true that some of these people are watching reels for entertainment, I'm sure many are doing so for their livelihood.

There are a lot of jobs where they pay you for evey reel you watch. I'm sure most of these drivers are juggling 2 jobs at the same time when you are judging them.

We should admire the spirit of these never say die people who are desperately trying to improve their livelihood.

I'm sorry, what spirit should we admire again?? One that can lead to damages to the tune of lakhs in property or worse, ruined lives die to death or injury, just so that someone earns a little extra a day????

If they want to juggle 2 jobs, they can do it without playing with the lives of other road users. Would you also like that that the pilot of the plane you are flying on is making a reel while landing or taking off?

If done BETWEEN active rides/drives AND while vehicle is PARKED responsibly, THEN they can do this and no on will object. I'm sorry, but I cannot admire the so called spirit of people who are putting my life and the lives of other road users in danger.

[sumeethaldankar]

My Swift's audio system can playback videos (via usb) only when the handbrake is up and I used it a few times while stuck in traffic with the handbrake engaged. We cannot control mobile phones which are independent from the audio system and I have seen mobile holders playing videos below the centre rear view mirror and some placed to the right side A pillar with the driver enjoying the videos. The traffic cops could start fining drivers for watching videos I suppose there is some rule that video playback is not allowed while driving a car as demonstrated by my touchscreen which stops the video display once the car starts to move and handbrake is disengaged.

[ketan007]

I have experienced this on highways. The first time I saw the driver watching a YouTube video while driving on a highway, and that too using headphones, I told him to stop immediately. He listened to me first, then did it again after some time. My wife asked him to stop the practice using stern words, and then only he obliged. It is very common in auto drivers, though. Not sure how to monitor them.

[mohan_nsk]

Originally Posted by vedantpatkar17

Yes, I have seen many people doing that. Nowadays, people’s attention spans are so short that they can’t even focus while driving. This issue is especially common among cab/auto drivers. Cab companies should install a device in their vehicles to monitor driver’s behaviour while driving.

Let me admit that me too is developing the habit of watching songs and videos while driving very slow in traffic and on signals. Need to mend my ways. This post is an eye opener for me.