Motorola introduces ‘polite’ phone to increase road safety
With concerns mounting over the safety of cell phone use while driving (about 25 to 30 % of all traffic accidents are distraction-related and an estimated 40 % of all mobile traffic takes place in vehicles), Motorola’s Driving Simulator Lab in Tempe is testing mobile phones that can analyse driving conditions and avoid distracting the driver.
According to me, it’s a much-needed first attempt at addressing a major safety issue. More research is probably needed to design fully safe mobile communication systems within the car.
“The software programmed into the phone can detect if the car is parked or cruising or in complex driving situations. If the car is parked, all incoming calls are are allowed through to the speaker phone. It also senses if the driver has entered the car and automatically transfers any ongoing calls to the speaker phone.
Potentially any cell phone that is Bluetooth enabled could be programmed with the software to make the system work. The idea is to make the system totally seamless to the cell phone user.”
(via textually.org)
