The key to safe driving?

Drivers talking or texting while speeding down the motorway could soon become a thing of the past, because a car key’s been developed to render the user’s phone useless when the motor's running. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com Key2SafeDriving is a Bluetooth-enabled car key which, when in the …

[Tom Haczewski]

Not quite right

"We'd like to know if it's smart enough to detect you've stopped so you can make a call safely, even if you've left the engine running."

Well technically speaking the law says that to make a call safely you should pull over, and turn the engine off - so if it doesn't work with the engine still running, it's a good feature?

Like the idea in general though, nice idea, even if not entirely enforcable.

[Phil Irwin]

Doesn't matter.....

Doesn't matter if it can tell whether you've stopped and still have the engine running or not.

Legislation states that to legally make a phone call, you must have pulled over AND turned off the engine.

How does it know if your the driver or just a passenger in a car you sometimes drive? Does it require one key per person which is tied to the mobile of that person? Could be costly on keys in a large family!

[Anonymous Coward]

off/on

I may be totally wrong with this but I thought most modern engines use more turning off and on than they would if just left to idle? Of course this would also depend on the duration of said call ;-)

@Phil: One would assume they had the sense to enable multiple pairings so the family can all use the same key. If not then don't expect to see this do very well at all

[Alex Wright]

You can legally use a phone and drive.

In emergencies, (i.e. someone is trying to run you off the road) you are legally allowed to use a phone while driving.

How would I do that with this device?

[Jonathan Portwood]

More Big Brother Technology!!!!

Yet more technology to enable Big Brother to control our lives! When will the authorities accept that talking on a mobile phone using an hands free set is no more distracting than talking with your passengers. If they are going to start punishing those who use a Handfree set then please start to punish all those who talk to their passengers when driving. The latter is in my opinion far more distracting than taking a call on a mobile phone using an handsfree set.

Yes I fully agree texting or using a mobile without an handsfree set is wrong and distracting, but it's a totally different thing if an handsfree set is used.

JRP.

[Dr Patrick J R Harkin]

Who will buy this?

People who wouldn't use a phone while driving.

Who therefore don't need it.

Though they might give it to their kids.

Who will turn off the BlueTooth on their phones.

Who will therefore not use it.

Please tell me my pension fund hasn't invested in this company...

[Ian]

@ Jonathan Portwood

Actually its dangerous to use a mobe hands-free when driving. Almost as dangerous as when hand held. Proved by scientists and everything.

[Anonymous Coward]

Who will they sue

Who will they sue when their phone doesn’t work during an emergency? For example when there is an accident and a person in the back seat can't get to the key so that they can make a 911 call. I can also imagine pulling in next to someone who is just on the edge of the cell, closing a deal for 20 mil, when his cell drops out. It is an interesting idea, but could be complicated to implement without problems...