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"Distracted driving" is a nice term for talking about people dying while they text (amongst other things). According to the US Department of Transportation distraction.gov website, 3,154 people died in distraction-related car accidents in 2013 -- around nine per day. So any technology that can keep someone's hands on the wheel and off the phone has the potential to save lives.
Enter Smartwheel, a snap-on steering wheel cover that monitors hands on the wheel. The Smartwheel is aiming for a US launch toward the middle of 2016 with a price of $199 (around £135 or AU$275). It will deliver real-time alerts in three main cases: Having one hand off the wheel for too long, having both hands off the wheel at all, and having both hands too close together (because it suggests a phone is being held while driving).
The cover delivers visual and audio alerts to keep a driver focused, and logs activity via Bluetooth so a parent or a boss can learn how focused, or how dangerous, drivers are being in their car. The visual feedback in the demo suggests there is even a green light shining when you have hands in an OK position, but I worry that in itself could be a distraction, particularly when driving at night.
originally posted by: mamabeth
a reply to: ReadLeader
This type of behavior could be one of many efforts by TPTB in culling the human herd.
We just passed a hefty fine backed law, that seemingly has done nothing to prevent this.
originally posted by: mamabeth
a reply to: ReadLeader
This type of behavior could be one of many efforts by TPTB in culling the human herd.