When Late for Work, Do You Put on Your Makeup in the Car? Or text?

[MrObsessive]

I like Cal's idea of building some sort of circuit into a cell phone that deactivates it while inside a car or truck. The question is... how?

Perhaps some kind of reverse Bluetooth method? If Bluetooth can pick up a signal from an earpiece, there has to be software that can be developed that can jam a signal as well. Might be farfetched, but then cellphones were farfetched 35 years ago.

[Ace-Garageguy]

The technology to do it would be relatively simple in new cars and phones. Include a pre-loaded standardized app in the phone that talks to a standardized ignition-interrupt circuit in the car that will only allow the car to start if the phone is off, and refuses to activate the phone if the engine is running. Basically similar to reverse-Bluetooth with some little mods, as Bill suggests. Include a 911 override.

Just a further thought...some insurance companies are already giving discounts to drivers of later OBD 2-equipped vehicles who allow their driving habits to be monitored by a module that interfaces with OBD. Develop a phone-off interface and offer discounts to drivers who agree to use it.

Multiple studies conducted since the mid 2000s have concluded that texting and other forms of electronic-device-distracted-driving are at least as dangerous as drunk driving. Here's a recent one discussed...

An excerpt: "When we compared states where there are no laws in effect [barring texting while operating a moving vehicle] and states where there are laws on the books, we found there was no difference in their responses," Adesman said. "Clearly, the laws are not effective."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/study-texting-while-driving-now-leading-cause-of-death-for-teen-drivers-1.5226036

Edited April 23, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[mrindy77]

I think you're right, many just don't give a you-know-what.

It's up to law enforcement, but it's impossible to pull over everyone jabbering away (or texting) on their phone while driving.

I like Cal's idea of building some sort of circuit into a cell phone that deactivates it while inside a car or truck. The question is... how?

Well...we supposedly put a man on the moon...how hard can it be?

[Danno]

The technology to do it would be relatively simple in new cars and phones. Include a pre-loaded standardized app in the phone that talks to a standardized ignition-interrupt circuit in the car that will only allow the car to start if the phone is off, and refuses to activate the phone if the engine is running. Basically similar to reverse-Bluetooth with some little mods, as Bill suggests. Include a 911 override.

Just a further thought...some insurance companies are already giving discounts to drivers of later OBD 2-equipped vehicles who allow their driving habits to be monitored by a module that interfaces with OBD. Develop a phone-off interface and offer discounts to drivers who agree to use it.

Multiple studies conducted since the mid 2000s have concluded that texting and other forms of electronic-device-distracted-driving are at least as dangerous as drunk driving. Here's a recent one discussed...

An excerpt: "When we compared states where there are no laws in effect [barring texting while operating a moving vehicle] and states where there are laws on the books, we found there was no difference in their responses," Adesman said. "Clearly, the laws are not effective."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/study-texting-while-driving-now-leading-cause-of-death-for-teen-drivers-1.5226036

All too true. The most important piece of it all is the 9-1-1 override, or some other means of emergency communication. Otherwise, it will never fly.