Parents who attempt to prevent their teenagers from using their cellphones at the wheel have a tall task ahead of them, but success is not impossible to achieve, especially with current technologies. One of those technologies, DriveID, has been tested out by Consumer Reports, which notes how it and systems like it can be used to curtail dangerous behaviors at the wheel.
The new system hails from CellControl and offers something that many other services have been lacking in the past: differentiation between a driver and a passenger. The device goes on the windshield and can actually detect whether the person attempting to use the phone is on the driver’s or passenger’s side of the automobile. It can then block the driver accordingly.
Parents can set things up to block only those activities they want it to. An automatic message set up to respond to both texts and calls can go out, explaining that the driver will call when pulled to a stop. It’s also possible to create exceptions to the rule, allowing 911 to be dialed or even a parent’s phone number if need be.
Consumer Reports was able to vouch for the system’s abilities, although they do note that a person seated behind the driver will also be unable to use their phone. They also explain that employers might be able to use such a system to discourage distracted tendencies among commercial drivers.