Technology could provide the answer to fleet managers successfully policing the use of hands-free phones.

The University of Utah has developed Key2SafeDriving which disconnects a mobile device via the ignition key by using Bluetooth or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

The system could be especially useful to fleet managers who have banned the use of hands-free phones while driving, but rely on drivers obeying their policy.

“I know from experience that many drivers will not abide by the policy from the occasions that we have had to contact them and they have answered whilst driving,” said the manager of a major fleet, who wished to remain anonymous.

Research from esure car insurance revealed 48% of motorists believe users of hands-free kits are needlessly putting motorists’ safety at risk.

Meanwhile, the latest figures from the Home Office reveal nearly 3,000 motorists in England and Wales were prosecuted in 2007 for failing to have proper control of their vehicle while being distracted by hands-free phone calls.

“The key to safe driving is to avoid distraction,” said Key2SafeDriving’s co-inventor Professor Xuesong Zhou.

“We wanted to provide a simple, cost-effective solution to improve driving safety.”

The system, which is expected to be available in the UK by the end of 2009, includes a device that encloses the ignition key.

To turn the engine on the driver must either slide the key out or push a button to release.

It then sends a signal to the driver’s phone, placing it in ‘driving mode’ and displaying a “stop” sign on the display screen.

While in driving mode users can only make emergency calls and incoming calls and texts are automatically answered with a message saying: “I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely”.

When the engine is turned off, the driver slides the key back into the device, which sends a ‘car stopped’ signal to the phone returning it to normal.

The university wouldn’t name names, but it said it had held initial talks with “some” vehicle manufacturers.

It also envisaged receiving the backing of the insurance industry so data on phone use or non-use could be compiled into a ‘safety score’ and sent monthly to insurance companies, which would then provide discounts to motorists with good scores.

The score could also include data recorded via GPS on an individual’s driving style.

No decision had been taken regarding cost, but it was expected to be in the region of £50 per key, which would include reporting services for the first year, with the possibility it could be licensed to mobile phone network providers.

How to manage your mobile phone policy

  • Lead by example by not making calls to employees when they are likely to be driving
  • Make drivers plan journeys with breaks during which they can make and take calls
  • Communicate the phone policy throughout the company to cover all staff
  • Drivers should be switch off their phones while driving, and only access messages when they are safely parked.
  • Drivers should change their mobile phone’s voicemail to explain they could be driving and will respond when they are parked
  • If you call a mobile, always ask if the other person is driving and, if so, ring back when it is safe to do so
  • Warn drivers that in the event of a serious crash, the police will access mobile phone records
  • Ignoring company policy in the event of an accident puts the driver at risk of prosecution but the company may also be at risk if the policy is not adequately communicated or managed.

Source: Active Risk Management