Toyota App Rewards Safe Drivers

Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has partnered with Japanese coffee-shop chain Komeda to reward drivers with free coffee for not using their phone behind the wheel.

The project runs through an app called the Driving Barista. Before the start of a journey, users launch the app and place their devices face down in the car. The phone's GPS then tracks the car's travel distance, while the gyroscope ensures that the phone is not being picked up.

The first coffee from a Komeda outlet is unlocked after 100km of undistracted driving, then the threshold jumps to 200km. Drivers who pick up their phone while in motion lose all the miles they've accrued since their last drink.

The app is available for Android and iOS, but its use is currently restricted to Japan's Aichi prefecture, which has had the nation's highest number of traffic fatalities for 13 years running.

In the US, Anheuser-Busch beer brand Budweiser has partnered with ride-hailing service Lyft for a road safety utility of its own. To curb drunk driving, Budweiser will offer free Lyft rides in New York state, Colorado, Illinois and Florida. For the remainder of the year, between 10pm and 2am on weekends, both brands will share links for $10 off Lyft rides on their social media accounts – up to a total of 80,000 uses.

For more on capturing consumers' attention by offering them everyday solutions, see Mastering the Attention Economy – our coverage of Social Media Week London 2016.