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The key to safe driving?

Car key blocks mobile phone use

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.

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Key2SafeDriving is a Bluetooth-enabled car key which, when in the ignition, blocks the driver’s phone from being able to make and receive calls or send text messages.

Specific details about which phones the key’s compatible with and exactly how the technology works are still a little sketchy, but needless to say that the action of starting the ignition automatically puts the driver’s phone into a “driving mode” akin to the usual 'flight mode'.

key2safedriving

Key2SafeDriving displays this sign on your phone whilst you're driving

Two settings are available: one for teenagers and one for adults. The latter allows calls to be made and received if a hands-free kit is in use. Teen mode prevents any calls or texts from being sent and received - an SMS is automatically sent to the system's administrator if the driver attempts to send a text while out on the road.

Details about driving habits can also be recorded, which might be handy when it comes to renewing the car insurance.

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. Or maybe it's a boon to green motoring too, forcing you to switch the engine off first.

A launch date or cost for Key2SafeDriving hasn’t been announced yet, but the extremely cheesy promotional video does show the technology is use.

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