Antenna detects cell phone use in vehicles

SALT LAKE CITY — Inthinc Technology Solutions Inc., a company centered on telematics, fleet solutions and driving safety, is adding a cell and text detection antenna to its safety and fleet management offerings.

The antenna detects cell phone wave frequencies emitted from the driver’s seat, verbally warns the user to terminate the call or text and sends real-time alerts to a web portal or directly to a manager.

Inthinc developed the patented technology to help fleet managers remain compliant with federal regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) recently banned hand-held cell phone use by interstate truck and bus drivers, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently called for a nationwide ban on driver use of personal electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle.

The company said it designed the cell and text detector according to specifications recommended by FMCSA, NTSB, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation. It is integrated with inthinc’s fleet management and driver safety solutions, waySmart and tiwiPro, and it can decipher various wave frequencies, including phone calls, text messages and e-mails. Fleet managers can adjust the settings to either send an in-cab voice alert to drivers when a cell signal is detected, or report the violation to the manager via e-mail or text alert.

Software-based smartphone apps are also available as signal-blocking preventive measures, but may be limited to certain types of smartphones (typically BlackBerry only).

For more information about the cell and text detection antenna, contact inthinc at (866) 294-8637 or contact@inthinc.com.