Is Spotify going to launch ‘driving mode’?

Spotify is doing professional drivers all over the world a huge favour right now by allegedly trialling a ‘driving mode’.  Some Spotify users have reported being able to test the new version of the popular music app, developed to make it easier to use while driving.

The new version of the app uses voice control and has larger buttons, so you can focus more on the road and less on your phone when wanting to change tracks or search for new music. For the haulage industry, this is excellent news indeed. HGV drivers, in particular, especially those who drive long distances around the UK and Europe, rely on apps like Spotify to keep them alert and relieve boredom when navigating the long, straight highways between cities. However, while falling asleep at the wheel through boredom and tiredness can kill, so can being distracted playing with or talking on a mobile phone.

We’ve reported both sleep-related accidents and phone-related accidents and the measures being taken to address both of them, and something like Spotify’s driving mode could be one of those solutions.

Many drivers in the UK have reported using their phones while driving, and although most are using them for talking or texting, apps can be just as much of a distraction.

As we reported recently, there are some apps which are actively trying to make driving safer, such as the app which scans drivers’ faces for signs of tiredness and alerts them with an alarm if it senses drooping eyelids.

And as for Spotify’s driving mode, it’s not currently known whether or when it’s likely to come out, with only leaked information so far, but we look forward to reviewing it when it hopefully does hit the consumer versions of the app.