Researchers in India have developed a technology that not only jams cell phone calls while a vehicle is in motion, but can report a driver's attempt to use their mobile communication devices to the authorities.
The technology, based on RFIDs, is aimed at preventing truck drivers and other road users from using their cell phones while driving and could also be integrated with police traffic monitoring, developers said.
Globally, around one in five fatal road accidents involving trucks and other heavy vehicles occurs while the driver has a cell phone in his or her hand, Abdul Shabeer of the Anna University of Technology in Tamil Nadu said in a TG Daily report.
The Indian university’s new system can actually determine whether a driver is using a cell phone while the vehicle is in motion and jam the phone signal — while still allowing passengers in the vehicle to use their phones unhindered.
The system can also report mobile communication device use while driving to police, along with the vehicle's registration number.
“Dialing and holding a phone while steering can be an immediate physical hazard, but the actual conversations also distract a driver's attention,” Shabeer said, adding that cell phone use also causes distractions that delay reactions to traffic signals, lead to poor lane discipline and inadvertent tailgating.
