Q: I am not a driver. I do not even have a driving licence. DA is useless to me. Right?
A:Wrong. Whenever you travel in someone else's DA will protect the car you are in and all its occupants
Q: Can I use my smartphone when DA is active?
A:You or your co-drivers can use your smartphone while on the move. You can make and receive calls (although DA will tell you that this is not recommendable if you are the driver) and run any other appplication. When the DA app is on there is only the red strip at the top of the screen that reminds you DA doing its job in the background.
Q: Can I play music from my smartphone or the car sterteo while driving?
A:Yes but if you play it extremely loud DA will warn you to turn it down as it affects the driver's concentration.
Q: Are there any limitations when using DA on while driving?
A:Yes. We have deliberately imposed some limitations. First of all, DA is only partly functional while you talk on your cell phone. Talking while driving with your cell phone in your hand is highly risky and DA protection is considerably limited. To enjoy full DA protection your cell phone should be sitting in a dashboard-mounted cradle and charged via the cigarette lighter plug. When making or receiving calls you should only use it in the hands-free mode.
Another reason why DA provides full protection while being in a dashboard-mounted cradle is purely technical. When your cell phone is fixed in one static position within the car DA can literally see, hear and feel whether everything is OK. If you keep your cell phone in your pocket or the glove compartment it will be literally blindfolded and its hearing will be seriously impaired.
Q: What kind of cradle/charger should I use?
A:Windscreen mounted cradle holders are NOT recommended because in the event of a major collision it s very likely the windscreen will break and, consequently, your mobile will be destroyed and stop transmitting the data about the accident. We recommend dashboard mounted holders as the cell phone mobile will not move far away from its original position even in the most violent of crashes.
The more solid mount and the firmer it is attached to the dashboard the better. Among our perks there are also two cradles. While testing the system we found that these two models, made by Swedish company Brodit, were the closest match to the DA requirements and also very good value for money.
Please visit their site or the site of your national distributor and choose the model that fits your smartphone and your car. Once you have chosen the right model fill in this form and you'll pay for your chosen holder at least 10% less than you would pay if you bought it from your local distributor or retailer.
Having said that, there are hundreds of other cradle/chargers in the market that are fit for the job and if you already have a dasboard mounted cradle in your car it is quite likely it will adequately meet the DA requirements. If you want to check out your existing cradle or you want to buy a new one bear in mind the followin guidelines:
• the cradle charger should ideally be positioned somewhere in the top middle part of the dashboard so you can see the screen without taking your eyes off the road. DA displays messages and warnings on a strictly „need to know“ basis and most of them are clear pictograms that you can recognise in an instant. For example , if the coffee cup appears on your smartphone screen no need to read the full message as you will know it means you have been driving for too long and should take a break.
• Not only must you have a clear view of your smartphone but your smartphone (front facing camera) too must have a clear view of you and the inside of the car.
• If you must make or receive calls the cradle should be comfortable for hands-free operation.
• The cradle should be connected to a cigarette lighter plug to keep the battery fully charged throughouit your journey.
Q: Why should my smartphone be constantly charged while DA is on? Is DA so power hungry that it can drain the battery in no time?
A:DA is moderately power hungry but it will drain the battery of, say iphone 5, after about 5,6 hours of driving. You do not want want to risk your life because of a flat battery. If you keep the screen active all the time while driving (and we suggest you do so) the battery will be depleted even faster.
Q: Do I have to switch on DA when I start driving?
A:You can choose in your settings whether you want to switch DA on manually or automatically. If you opt for automatic activation DA will ask you (after about few kilometres or few minutes) to confirm that you are driving. We strongly recommend manual activation, i.e. that you develop the habit of switching on DA just as you routinely buckle up your seat belts when you get behind the wheel.
Most people will find there is very little or no need to turn on full DA protection and engage their private angels for short urban commutes as there is a very low risk of an accident not being noticed on a busy urban road in broad daylight. DA is meant to protect you and your co-drivers where and when you are statistically at your most vulnerable – on quiet motor-ways and rural roads.
Q: Do I always have to engage my private angels?
A:Of course not. You can choose whether to have all your angels engaged, some of them, only one or none. The best guideline is again pure common sense. For example, if you have a relative or friend who always calls to ask “how’s on the road” or “when do you expect to arrive” make sure you engage them as your angels. You do not want to crash because you are distracted by stupid questions.
Q: What happens if my phone gets no reception?
A:If you hit a blind spot (no signal) anywhere along your way DA will warn you about that and you will not be fully protected until you get close enough to the nearest base station. This is something beyond our control. In any case your last known position will be temporarily saved.
Q: Do I have to have data traffic enabled on my smartphone?
A:Yes. DA needs your smartphone to access mobile internet and you must have some minimal data plan. As a rough guideline you can expect that while driving DA will need about xxxx???? Mb per hour.
Q: How foolproof and reliable is DA?
A:No device or system is 100% foolprof and always reliable. If such a thing were possible there would be no aviation accidents. Our beta test drivers have covered about 400.000 kilometres and we have tested the system in all kinds of extreme conditions and throughout all of this DA behaved as it was designed. Having said that, this is no guarantee that in real life a situation may be encountered that requires further improvement to DA.