We’ve posted several blogs on the dangers of texting as well as using the cell phone while driving. While the National Safety Council is working hard at encouraging a state wide ban on cell use while driving, there are several states in the US and Canadian municipalities that have not put this into effect. Many organizations have taken it upon themselves to ban or discourage use of a cell phone while driving among their employees. Unfortunately, it’s still an uphill battle.
For some, the cell phone has become an addiction because of the addiction that we now have to always being connected. This connectivity addiction can be a road block in the crusade against texting and talking on a cell while driving. And if you think that using a hands free mobile is safe, think again. Despite what the cellular salesman might tell you, recent studies have shown that regardless of how a cell is used, it still distracts a driver. Events that a driver would normally be aware or cautious of go unnoticed – and reaction times to these events become impaired.
That’s where a new technology that has been developed by manufacturers such as Aegis Mobility in Canada or the American owned Accendo LC has stepped in. These companies have developed or licensed a new technology that recognizes when a cell phone is in motion in a vehicle and intercepts calls. The different technologies available utilize a cell phone’s GPS system or information received from cell towers or even employ a vehicle’s systems to intercept calls and inform the caller that the person they are trying to reach is driving. In the later, information is gathered from the vehicle itself in combination with a cell phone’s GPS system when in motion. In the case of the system called Key2SafeDriving (from the University of Utah), a cell phone is disabled as soon as the ignition key is inserted.
Now all of this might sound “Big Brother” but look at it this way – it’s a great solution for the prevention of injuries to workers or even your family.
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