That's a fair amount of effort, but soon the service could be an option when buying a new car. Major (but undisclosed) automobile manufacturers have contacted Hartman about including the technology in new vehicles, he said. Insurance companies have also contacted Hartman, raising the possibility of lower insurance rates for families with the technology. Whenever Key2SafeDriving is implemented, it should reduce the number of car accidents, particularly among teenagers, said David Strayer, a professor at the University of Utah who studies the effects of talking and texting on driving. According to Strayer, driving while talking on a cell phone makes you four times more likely to have an accident. Using a hands-free headset does nothing to off set that risk. Texting increases the odds of an accident another 50 percent. Couple those odds with the inexperience of teenage drivers and a deadly mixture is created. Key2SafeDriving, according to Strayer, could help unravel that mess. "This technology has the potential to really curb teenage driver cell phone use," said Strayer. "I think it's a pretty good idea and that it will result in fewer fatalities on the road." Related Links: Treehugger: Slide Show: 23 Electric Cars Driving the Revolution |
advertisement
Put Discovery News on Your Site!
|
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
