Studies tell us that texting while driving is equally dangerous as driving while impaired, yet a surprisingly large percentage of adults – and even more teens – admit to texting while driving. There are apps designed to prevent hand-held usage of phones while driving, but people often find a way to bypass these apps. If you need something with teeth to prevent your teens, or fleet drivers, or even yourself from unsafe phone usage while driving, the ORIGOSafe offers what you need. The ORIGOSafe is permanently installed in your car, and it can be paired with multiple phones, so an entire family (or fleet of drivers) can use the same vehicle. The phone must be plugged into the ORIGOSafe before you can start the car. It will be charged while in the dock, and it can still be used via Bluetooth while docked. If the phone is removed while the car is running, the car will continue to operate, but you’ll need to call the administrator (Mom or your boss) to reauthorize the phone before it can be used again. The ORIGOSafe is $399, including professional installation that will be arranged for you by ORIGO. Required phone cases are available for iPhone (4, 4S, 5, 5S) or Samsung Galaxy S3.
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Cool Idea, This would infuriate me, but if I had teenage drivers, I think I might go for it,
Completely over-engineered solution, in my opinion. The car can’t be started unless a phone is plugged into the cradle? The cradle only works with two makes of handsets? Costs $400?
Tell you what, I think I’ll spend half that amount on a professionally fitted hands-free kit that can be used with most handsets by whoever drives the vehicle. It won’t guarantee against improper use of a phone but neither will this gadget; how many professional drivers, for instance, have a personal phone as well as their work-issued one (the one they have to insert into the cradle to start the vehicle)?