Put the Brakes on Driving While Texting

You’re driving on the highway. You are going past, or being passed, by another vehicle. It’s your natural reaction to glance over to look at the driver. That’s when you see it: a teenager’s fingers flying over a miniature keyboard as they text their friends with their eyes facing down rather than on the road. That’s right, I’m referring to “driving while texting”. As a parent, it’s very difficult to read the statistics: each year 21% of all fatal car crashes involve teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 who were using their cell phone at the time of impact, either while talking to a friend or more frequently while sending text messages. Even more alarming, researchers estimate this number to grow by as much as 4% each year.

Safe Driving Systems announced a technology back in May that will remedy this dangerous problem: Key2SafeDriving. This product is the first of its kind and will essentially eliminate distracted driving by rerouting calls and text messages when the user is driving. Specifically, the device’s features include:

• The Key2SafeDriving is a Bluetooth device that is fitted onto the ignition key and wirelessly jams the driver’s cell phone.

• So long as the key is in the ignition the cell phone cannot be used. The device also sends a text message to parents alerting them when their teen attempts to use the cell phone while it is in driving mode.

• Safe Driving Mode: when the user is driving, the cell phone immediately goes into safe driving mode by sending calls directly to voicemail and sending an automated text message to incoming texts to indicate that the user is driving.

• Emergency use enabled: when the phone is in Safe Driving Mode, it is still able to call 911 and other numbers by the administrator managed personal profile.

The version I of the device will retail for $49.99 plus a $10 monthly service charge. This device can ease parents’ minds as they send their teens out on the roads, and most importantly, save young lives and the lives of other motorists. These are returns that are well worth the out-of-pocket cost.