Drivers operate in an increasingly complex visual environment where the mobile phone forms part of that everyday life; we provide a unique solution to eliminate the effect a mobile phone may have on driving ability and accident rates.
It is a critical time when road safety authorities are recognising the importance of driver distraction as a road safety issue.
It’s illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone when driving. Points on your licence affect your insurance for three years.
Research shows that using a mobile phone while driving distracts the driver and causes driving behaviour which adversely affects road safety. While hands-free phones and other devices, such as speed dialling and voice activation reduce physical distraction, the most important negative factor associated with using a mobile phone while driving, whether hands-free or hand-held, is diversion of attention from driving to the conversation itself. The extent of the negative effects of telephone use while driving depends on the complexity of both the conversation and the driving situation. Driver reaction times are 30% slower when telephoning while driving than driving with BAC levels of 80mg/100ml and 50% slower than under normal driving conditions.
Studies indicate that the use of hands-free phones causes as much important driver distraction as the use of hand-held phones. Some studies show that in-car telephone conversations while driving can impair drivers more than listening to the radio or talking to passengers. An epidemiological study of crash involvement found that mobile phone use was associated with a greater likelihood of crash than passenger carriage and increasing numbers of passengers.
Many young drivers admit to the largely illegal activity of texting while driving. Text messaging has a detrimental effect on safety-critical driving tasks such as lane-keeping, hazard detection and the detection and appropriate response to traffic signs.
Research indicates that use of mobile phone while driving is widespread amongst young novice drivers and adds to the problems experienced by this group who already have a higher crash risk. Older drivers can find it more difficult than drivers in general to conduct the two tasks at the same time involved in telephoning while driving.
Methodologically sound epidemiological studies show that telephone use while driving increases the likelihood of being involved either in a crash leading to property damage or serious injury by a factor of four. Crash involvement escalates with increased telephone use while driving and heavy users are twice as likely to be involved in a crash as those making minimal use of mobile phones. While mobile phone users have a greater chance of crash involvement, the increased crash rate is not exclusively due to telephone use since users engage in drink-driving and excess speed more frequently.
It is estimated that up to 23 percent of crashes and near-crashes are caused by driver distraction, and these figures will likely increase as more and more distractions, both inside and outside the vehicle, compete for driver attention. Driver Distraction: Theory, Effects, and Mitigation gives a comprehensive overview of this issue, outlining the underlying theory of distraction, its effects on driving performance and safety, strategies for mitigating its effects.
So how do you eliminate mobile phone driver distraction?
What’s the solution?
No texting or calling = No distraction
The award-winning technology eliminates the temptation to talk, text, email and surf the web while driving and is available for all vehicles ranging from compacts to tractor/transport trailers. The product is compatible with over 1,000 mobile handsets across all the leading domestic and international mobile service providers, as well as all current release MS-Windows business and ruggedized laptops.
The technology is integrated directly with a vehicle’s onboard electronics to determine vehicle state, and then linked to driver and/or passenger mobile devices to implement usage policies immediately upon vehicle movement.
Statistics on Distracted Driving:
Over 1,400 people are killed or injured daily as a result of distracted driving
Distracted driving is the #1 killer of teenagers today
Drivers have slightly less than half a second to avoid a collision
Texting & Driving increases crash risk by 2,300%
1.5 million drivers use their mobile phone at any given moment
Over 1,600 companies have adopted mobile phone use policies covering 10.5 million workers
Key features include:
Direct integration with vehicle guarantees accuracy and reliability
The only accurate way to determine vehicle movement and driver proximity to protected vehicles
GPS-based solutions determine movement of the phone, not the vehicle
Web-based policy dashboard and reporting allows anytime,
any place monitoring and management
Allows for centralized global maintenance across multiple phone platforms and operating systems
Changes to policy are automatically distributed and enforced for all associated users
Fleet-grade technology works seamlessly in large and small deployments for business or family
Any size fleet (2 - 20,000+ vehicles) can be managed from a centralised web portal
Enforceability and reliability are ensured through easy to manage reporting and policy maintenance
