Commute time can be among the best times to get a head start on processing your inbox. That is, unless your commute involves driving. Using your BlackBerry while driving is not advisable for a number of reasons. Some people will continue to try it, at the risk of hurting themselves and others on the road. It’s just too tempting, at times, to check in on those latest emails. Many states are cracking down on this behavior, though, so you can add fines to the already long list of reasons not to use your BlackBerry while operating a motor vehicle. This has created an obvious inefficiency that leaves in its wake a market for developers to create systems whereby users can access their email without creating an undue distraction.

These apps will all cost you something, whether a one-time or a subscription fee, but they also provide value. That is, they allow you to take care of routine tasks while driving without creating a danger for yourself and other drivers. If you’re doing nothing during your drive to work and feel you spend too much time sorting through your inbox once you get to the office, it might be worth trying one of these apps.

Vlingo

I remember first seeing Vlingo at CTIA 2008 and being immediately impressed. Voice activated software seemed to be the theme of that show, and Vlingo stood above the rest. Later that year I reviewed Vlingo’s BlackBerry app and came away impressed. I even impressed many a friend by composing messages with my voice rather than with my thumbs. Since then the Vlingo offering has changed, though the product remains of the same high quality.

It its latest Plus version Vlingo has added SafeReader, a feature that reads your email to you. You can then use the rest of the Viigo system to reply to the message. This means that you can not only reply by email, but also by SMS, BBM, or instant message. On top of that Vlingo also integrates with Google and Yahoo searches, plus your Twitter and Facebook statuses. These are Vlingo’s advantages over other email reading services.

The changes in Vlingo also mean that it now has a price tag. There is still the free app, though that only allows for limited features. These do not include the SafeReader, or even the compose by voice option. If you want those it will cost you $19.99 for the Plus version, which you can get at App World.

Text’nDrive

Over the summer we talked briefly about Text’nDrive, a relatively new application that reads your emails and allows you to reply via dictation. It’s a pretty basic app as far as that goes, integrating only with your POP, IMAP, and webmail accounts, plus SMS. It’s basically the same deal as Vlingo, but only with fewer ways to compose messages.

Why, then, would you pay the same $19.99 for Text’nDrive as you would for Vlingo? The short answer is that you probably wouldn’t. But Text’nDrive does have a free version that reads your email to you. You can’t reply by voice, but if you just want to have an idea of what’s in your inbox this could definitely work for you. Check it out. Who knows. Maybe you’ll end up liking it more than Vlingo.

DriveSafe.ly

DriveSafe.ly has been around for a while, but it doesn’t seem to get the kind of play that other, similar applications get. That’s probably because it doesn’t have the respond-by-voice function, even in the pro version. But it does have a quality playback system that, for a free app, should please the masses.

Incoming email and SMS can be played back as you receive them, making it easier to keep your hands on the wheel while driving. You also have the option to play previous messages. While there is no way to dictate a response, DriveSafe.ly does allow you to use auto responses. It’s not much, but it can come in handy at times.

You can get the free version of Drive Safe.ly here, or you can check out the Pro version.

Voice on the Go

Voice on the Go was another of my favorites from CTIA 2008. At the time Vlingo was just an on-device voice dictation system, but Voice on the Go clearly had its niche targeted. The app is still going strong, and you can still use it to manage your email by voice when you’re in the car.

You can not only deal with your messages with the app, but you can also search through your contacts and manipulate your calendar with it. You can also update your Facebook status or send a Tweet or twenty.

While the other apps we’ve looked at charge a flat fee, Voice on the Go works on a subscription basis. You can get a free 30-day trial of Voice on the Go, but after that it costs $5.99 per month. So, in other words, after four months you’d have paid more for Voice on the Go as you would have for a lifetime of Vlingo. In other words, make sure to get as much use out of this app as you can on the trial, so you make sure it’s the app for you.

iLane

If you’re looking for a bit higher end a solution to the problem of checking emails while in the car, iLane has your solution. It’s basically your all-in-one information center. You can have it read your email, SMS, calendar appointments, and more. It also allows you to reply — for $400 it damn well better. If you want to keep up on yur news, you can have iLane read that to you, too. That’s the big added bonus here, though I’m not sure how many people can justify an extra $380 just so their BlackBerry can read the latest AP headlines.

Still, those looking for luxury can do worse than iLane. You can learn more at the website.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.BlackBerry apps that keep you safe on the road

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.BlackBerry apps that keep you safe on the road