Safety device jams driver's mobile phone

Researchers at the Anna University of Technology in Chennai, India have prototyped another system to prevent drivers from using their mobile phones when driving. According to articles about the research at Smithsonian and Phys.Org, the system detects when a car is in motion and then uses a "jammer" to block the driver's cell phone signal but not the passenger. It's not entirely clear to me how that's possible (unless the phone is tethered to the device), and unfortunately the full research paper is only for paid subscribers of the International Journal of Enterprise Network Management. Not only does their system limit use, it reportedly also employs RFID to "transmit the vehicle number plate information stored in RFID tag to RFID reader buffer, when driver use of cell phone was detected. Data collected from the reader will be transmitted from car and displayed at traffic signal post containing LCD so that police can take legislative action against the driver." Of course, if the jammer actually works, that entire part of the system would be unnecessary. Yeah, so… I'm a bit unclear on the details of this. But the tl;dr is, don't be distracted by your mobile phone when you're driving. "Technology to prevent mobile phone accidents"

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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stumo

And if I’m driving, my phone rings and I ask my passenger to answer it for me?
jonathan_v

That doesn’t sound too complicated — they could project a short-range jamming signal from a point that is slightly behind the driver & towards the interior of the car, outwards to the front+exterior of the car. That would insulate the driver, leaving the passenger and back seats free.

The caveat though, would be that you could just drop the phone on the passenger seat and use it from there. Most people I know who talk while they drive do that.
- http://glitch.tl/ Michael Smith
  
  I can imagine the driver using the hands free function and leaning into the passenger seat while trying to drive the car.
CSBD

This is big brothers wet dream… something like this “to save children” from drivers would be a nice camel nose under the tent flap.
http://twitter.com/Mach_a_Go_Go MachaGoGo

Of course this product would be completely illegal, at least here in the States.
http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/jamming-cell-phones-and-gps-equipment-against-law
- Phil Fot
  
  You say that as if the written laws in America apply equally to everyone. You’re in America, not a country that has any respect for law or even it’s own founding documents.
  
  You have to realize by now that the only thing you are permitted and required to do in America is to pay taxes and eventually die. Unless you’re a criminal. Then you needn’t pay taxes and can do just about anything that strikes your fancy, since the rest of the populace is cowed into subservience and afraid to defend themselves just in case the people smashing their front door down really are policemen.
traalfaz

But presumably doesn’t prevent data services, because that would stop navigation from working. And if you have data services, you can still make voip calls…

If it’s position dependent, put the phone on the passenger seat and use speaker/bluetooth.

I personally don’t use a phone while driving but I doubt systems like this are going to work, people are to set on phone use.
Phil Fot

How the hell can it tell who is driving? If a person’s SO or kid or friend is driving, then because the car is registered to you, your phone is disabled?

That system is ill-conceived and lacking in forethought.
bcsizemo

So we are going to incorporate a system into a vehicle that will inform an LCD screen of your infraction so that other motorists and authorities can take appropriate action against you…

All that time and energy wasted thinking of ways to do this instead of actually relaying useful information back to the driver. Like the upcoming light change cycle and how much time do I have on the color it is at? I mean think of the gas everyone could save if they hit 50% more green lights.
http://profiles.google.com/keithdtyler Keith Tyler

Perhaps it doesn’t “jam” with interference, but by spoofing ESN/IMEI/IMSI of the phone closest to the driver’s seat.
http://www.kmoser.com kmoser

Here’s one instance where such a system would be a terrible idea: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/truck-pushes-car-at-60-mph-10136095
http://shadowfirebird.tumblr.com shadowfirebird

Um, and if I’m talking on the phone perfectly safely with a hands-free device, such as a bluetooth headset?
- http://profiles.google.com/westcarleton Ray Perkins
  
  IIR, studies show hands-free devices are about as bad.
  - http://shadowfirebird.tumblr.com shadowfirebird
    
    oh, nuts.
    
    simple logic tells me they can’t be. without my headset i wouldn’t have my eyes on the road or both hands on the wheel!
    —– Original message —–
  - ibjhb
    
    So we should ban passengers in the car too, because they could be distracting.
Sigmund_Jung

Only way I can see is on smartphones with an app
installed receiving a bluetooth command — not jamming.
I don’t like saying things like that — but there is no way to jam one phone and not another. And what’s the use if you can borrow you buddie’s phone?
- Sigmund_Jung
  
  Keith Tyler seems to have a point. Triangulation on such a close space?
Guest

deleted
http://www.madziabryll.com Cefeida

While we’re trying to make driving safer, how about those breathalysers that won’t let you start the car if you’ve been drinking? Whatever happened to those? They were a GOOD idea, since a drunk person can’t really be trusted to gauge their ability to drive.

And being drunk is a temporary issue… but a person who uses their cell phone while driving is stupid even while sober.
- http://profiles.google.com/marc.k.mielke Marc Mielke
  
  The breathalyzer-mobile is a great idea until you’re drunk and trying to get away from your abusive boyfriend/rapist/axe murderer.
  - JustinKalb
    
    You should probably leave before you start drinking.
JustinKalb

Though my initial reaction is to mention that I have a completely hands off car stereo based bluetooth for my phone in my car (currently available on quite a few new vehicles also) I feel it’s important to also mention that shitty drivers crash into stuff because they weren’t taught how to drive by competent adults (i.e. pay fucking attention to the road you idiot, your in a 1500 lb. death box). Both at home and in Drivers Ed, which is usually taught by whichever Gym teacher isn’t holding class that hour and not by a professional driver. I guess the question really is, should we have real professional drivers teaching our kids how to drive, rather than solely going fast and turning left??
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Drivers’ Ed? Did you time travel from the 80s? What schools still offer ‘non-essential’ classes like Drivers’ Ed, art, music and foreign language?
SuperMarkert

And what about all the accidents that will be caused when the drivers start playing with their phones, trying to figure out why it’s not working?
http://www.facebook.com/timdlittle Timothy D Little

We’ve been using jamming gear like this for over 8 years now. Taking to the civie side of the house should be no problem. At it should create a bubble around the vehicle…so no cell phones will work.
- http://daniel.friesen.name/ Daniel Friesen
  
  - There are very valid reasons for passengers to be able to use a cell phone while in the car. Ever drove to a relatives place with your family and had a passenger call ahead to tell them you’re almost there?
  - If it really can be limited to the drivers area, there is undoubtedly something too limited in the capabilities of the device. ie: It’s very likely that the device is easy to bypass in some other way or is a hassle to setup — something that itself creates a hassle — that no driver would bother setting it up.
  - I also shudder at this blunt approach in the case of an emergency where driving + cell phone use may be a necessity blocked by the device. eg: Being chased while trying to call 911 for help but being blocked by your own car’s “safety” feature.
  
  In the end though this is a flawed technical approach for a social problem. Basically this is the equivalent of locking people’s table knives in a time-locked vault when they’re not eating because they might hurt themselves or others with the knife.
PKMousie

Oh no! My iCloud!
stumo

Possibly you misunderstand – if I’m driving, my passenger takes the call and does all the speaking on the phone, and tells me what’s important (e.g. we’re now meeting somewhere else).

I wouldn’t use the phone while driving, but my passenger doesn’t need to concentrate on the road and can talk for me.

Or possibly you’re just trying to get in a link to your crappy website.
- http://daniel.friesen.name/ Daniel Friesen
  
  I have a feeling it might be sarcasm.
  Cause at the very least it’s completely flawed. Because if you’re using a jammer then you won’t even know that someone called you. And hence won’t be able to give it to a passenger, pull over, or know that you have to call back later.
http://daniel.friesen.name/ Daniel Friesen

Btw, as far as Canada goes. It looks like jammers are illegal, period.

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf10048.html