Into the debate over whether all drivers in the U.S. should be banned from texting or talking on cell phones comes a new device that not only may help companies change their drivers' cell-phone behavior, but detect infractions and empower employers to take enforcement action.
inthinc Technology Solutions Inc., a Salt Lake City, Utah-based vendor of fleet telematics systems, is in late-stage field testing of a patented cell and text signal detection antenna. When integrated with the vendor's fleet management system, the antenna picks up on cell phone wave frequencies being emitted from the driver seat area and verbally warns the user to stop. It can record the incident in real-time on a web portal, or directly inform a fleet manger, providing the information needed to enforce compliance with company, state or federal regulations.