Comments on: Safety device jams driver's mobile phone

By: Daniel Friesen

Daniel Friesen — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:34:00 +0000

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

By: Daniel Friesen

Daniel Friesen — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:31:00 +0000

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.

By: stumo

stumo — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:24:00 +0000

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.

By: PKMousie

PKMousie — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 01:39:00 +0000

Oh no! My iCloud!

By: Phil Fot

Phil Fot — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 21:43:00 +0000

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.

By: Daniel Friesen

Daniel Friesen — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 21:02:00 +0000

- 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.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Drivers’ Ed? Did you time travel from the 80s? What schools still offer ‘non-essential’ classes like Drivers’ Ed, art, music and foreign language?

By: ibjhb

ibjhb — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 17:28:00 +0000

So we should ban passengers in the car too, because they could be distracting.

By: Timothy D Little

Timothy D Little — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 17:13:00 +0000

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.

By: SuperMarkert

SuperMarkert — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:26:00 +0000

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?

By: JustinKalb

JustinKalb — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:38:00 +0000

You should probably leave before you start drinking.

By: JustinKalb

JustinKalb — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:35:00 +0000

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??

By: shadowfirebird

shadowfirebird — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:02:00 +0000

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 —–

By: Ray Perkins

Ray Perkins — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:47:00 +0000

IIR, studies show hands-free devices are about as bad.

By: Marc Mielke

Marc Mielke — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 22:04:00 +0000

The breathalyzer-mobile is a great idea until you’re drunk and trying to get away from your abusive boyfriend/rapist/axe murderer.

By: Michael Smith

Michael Smith — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:58:00 +0000

I can imagine the driver using the hands free function and leaning into the passenger seat while trying to drive the car.

By: Cefeida

Cefeida — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:31:00 +0000

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.

By: Guest

Guest — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:44:00 +0000

deleted

By: Sigmund_Jung

Sigmund_Jung — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:39:00 +0000

Keith Tyler seems to have a point. Triangulation on such a close space?

By: Sigmund_Jung

Sigmund_Jung — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:38:00 +0000

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?

By: shadowfirebird

shadowfirebird — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Um, and if I’m talking on the phone perfectly safely with a hands-free device, such as a bluetooth headset?

By: kmoser

kmoser — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:32:00 +0000

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

By: Keith Tyler

Keith Tyler — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:10:00 +0000

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

By: bcsizemo

bcsizemo — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:55:00 +0000

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.

By: Phil Fot

Phil Fot — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:09:00 +0000

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.

By: traalfaz

traalfaz — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:03:00 +0000

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.

By: MachaGoGo

MachaGoGo — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:02:00 +0000

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

By: CSBD

CSBD — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0000

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

By: jonathan_v

jonathan_v — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:58:00 +0000

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.

By: stumo

stumo — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:35:00 +0000

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