On the Arrive Alive website we always emphasize the importance of avoiding distractions while driving! In the best scenario we will have a driver only focused on driving with both eyes on the road, both hands on the steering wheel and all the attention and focus on driving. We do however accept that this will seldom be the case as there will often be conversations with passengers or between passengers that could take the attention of the driver away from “only” driving.
It is also very possible that drivers will be using the latest in Bluetooth and hands-free technology to either confirm the destinations they are travelling too or have another conversation. We would like to emphasize the need to keep any such distractions short and rather continue conversations via cellular technology when safely parked away from traffic.
If drivers are to use hands-free devices it is important that they consider safety when selecting these devices! We came across an interesting article earlier today titled “Here’s what is possibly the most stupid car phone-holder ever made” making the very same point!
Even though Arrive Alive does not “endorse” a specific product, campaign or service [ this may be anti-competitive], we do appreciate those companies who put lots of though behind safety initiatives to support our road safety initiatives.
We believe that much thought has gone into the hands-free devices and car phone holder presented by Carmatepro:
“Driver safety is a topic that has been discussed and improved on over many years, but the statistics show that one of the biggest causes of road accidents is driver distraction, either by a passenger or by an electronic device.
The future can foresee safety devices which cut off your phone calls, silence the radio and monitor the weather, via intelligent windscreen wipers, as insurers step up their hi-tech efforts to turn us into better drivers and reduce the number of accidents. However, connectivity will never go away, and a total ban on phone usage is not likely, well, not in the near future anyway. Our Phones have become a part of us, and we will not turn it off just because we are driving., in fact with the Navigational apps now available, we actually need them to help us find our way to our destination.
The Mobile Phone is also contributing to Security and Peace of Mind. Knowing that it is permissible to use a cellular phone while driving, reduces worry and stress while contributing to peace of mind. The ability to achieve virtually instant communication, whether from or to a driver, provides the driver with a psychological reassurance that unexpected events of the day can be managed effectively and that worries related to uncertainties can be resolved by instant news conveyed through a phone call. The added sense of security may arise when traveling alone, at night, in poor weather, in a crime- ridden part of town, in an unfamiliar location, or at any moment when the driver is feeling vulnerable.
The Carmate Pro Air vent holder is a universal Non-Slip Rubber adjustable device which allows you to make your hands free calls, using voice activation. It also provides you with easy view navigation at Dashboard level / as per all new ICE systems and not windscreen mounted which can obstruct the drivers vision.
The easy one-touch system allows for the mounting and releasing of the device with just the push of a finger. No matter if your phone is protected by a skin or a case, the car holder grips securely onto your device so you can do other things freely. A product that will not only make your life easier but also help decrease distraction and save lives as your focus is where it needs to be-on the road
The new technology is not something you can roll out to all cars in a flash, and as the cars generally in South Africa are more than 5 years old, new initiatives like black boxes and so on will not hit the South African market anytime soon, and when it does it will only be in the absolute premier cars.
Looking at statistics and key findings from research carried out specifically on the effects of mobile telephoning on driving performance demonstrates the following. Broekhuis, Vries and Waard research results show clearly that subjects who operated the hands free telephone showed better control over the test vehicle than the subjects who operated the handheld telephone, as measured by the steering wheel movements.
http://altmetis.eldoc.ub.rug.nl/root/1991/effects/
Gray & Schunn research on predicting the effects of cellular-phone dialing on driver performance finds that manual dialing results in deviations much greater than any of the other method with an overall pattern of lower deviations for voice dialing. https://www.cs.drexel.edu/~salvucci/publications/Salvucci-CSR02.pdf
The real-world implications of driver performance studies are certain. Drivers may become aware of the risks entailed in using a cellular phone whilst driving, either through their own intuition, through what they learn from family members, friends and the media. There are a range of tools and technology to assist in mounting phones correctly, as well as using handsfree enabled features which are available on a large majority of mobile phones on the market today. 84% of the Mobile Phones offer handsfree dialing, maps, as well voice activation. Only 17% of the cars in South Africa are bluetooth enabled
These results clearly document some detriment in driver performance that is associated with use of a cellular phone while driving. But clearly demonstrates that when correctly mounted and not hand held, driver ability improves. The answer to this question is very clear, that correct mounting and ease of hands free usage results in improvement in overall drivers performance.
Carmate Pro in support of the Arrive Alive initiative now offer a Universal Hands Free Phone Holder which simply plugs into your airvent holder. This small, convenient gadget provides a solution that makes driving easier and safer. We all need the safety of Hands Free and with the easy to install and portable PHONE HOLDER the phone is in easy view, which significantly reduces the risk of mobile phone use and distraction.
For more information on Carmate Pro go to www.carmatepro.co.za
For more information on Arrive Alive with road safety advice and articles go to www.arrivealive.co.za
To Purchase Hands-free Devices also look at Takealot