By Clay Dillow Posted 02.22.2011 at 1:59 pm 4 Comments

Hide-Away The Protector is compact enough to tuck under the dashboard, almost completely out of sight. Gregor Halenda

Mobile phones that vie for drivers’ attention accounted for 25,000 injuries and deaths in 2009. and new drivers are common culprits—at least 60 percent of teenagers admit to fiddling with their phones when their hands should be at 10 and 2. To facilitate safe, secure driving habits in teens (and everyone else), Taser’s Protector accessory has a solution: allow only hands-free functions when a phone is in a vehicle, so it won’t distract a driver in transit.

The system plugs into any car that has a standard diagnostics port. When the driver turns on the ignition, the device connects via Bluetooth to an app on the driver’s phone and blocks designated functions that require eyes or hands, such as texting and Web surfing (911 is always available in an emergency). The device also has its own SIM card and GPS chip, so it can generate and transmit location data—added security if your wheels get stolen.

4 Comments

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ptv83
02/22/11 at 3:35 pm

Sweet now how much will i save on my car insurance if i have this installed in my car, and how much would i save on my teenagers carinsurance if i have it installed in his car?

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Anubis87XIII
02/22/11 at 4:06 pm

So how effective is this if I simply disable the bluetooth on my phone? Or not run the app? In other words, how could someone regulate this for their teenagers? I see it has an unlock key, but would a parent really walk their child out to their car and turn the app on every time they want to go somewhere? On a side note, that phone looks a lot like my Samsung Focus, with some minor differences.

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Nitrowing
02/22/11 at 4:39 pm

This is rubbish tech.
Use a different phone?
Uninstall app?

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Oakspar77777
02/23/11 at 9:13 am

Here's an idea. Don't buy your kid a phone, or a car, or insurance.

By the time your kid has a job and can afford the payment (even if it is a payment to you) and their insurance and their cell phone bill, there is a good chance they will be old enough to have some driving experience under their belt.

It is the duty of a parent to provide healthy food, clean water, warm clothing, shelter from the elements, love, and a good education. Take away everything else and your child will be safer, healthier, smarter, and more socially adjusted. It is not like spoiling a teen has ever stopped their genetic hardwiring to rebel and hate there parants - so why fight it?

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