Two researchers from the University of Utah came up with a car key specially rigged to jam mobile phones while the person at the wheel is actually driving. Text messages are also blocked. This device is called Key2SafeDriving and it’s meant to make the road a safer place.

Basically, it’s a car key which connects wirelessly to the driver’s phone; the technology used to achieve this is either Bluetooth or RFID (radio-frequency identification). As soon as the car is started with Key2SafeDriving, this device connects with the phone of the person who just used it and no more calls or texts while in driving mode. The display of the blocked phones simply show a “stop” sign. Also, if somebody calls or texts the driver while the jamming is active, they’ll be answered with the message: “I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely.”

According to Fox News, Xuesong Zhou, one of the inventors of Key2SafeDriving, said that “the key to safe driving is to avoid distraction”. Indeed, statistics prove that many car accidents occur because those involved in them were on the phone. Teenagers are especially prone to this reckless behavior: studies show that 10 percent of teenagers have no qualms about using their mobiles while driving.

Consequently, Key2SafeDriving could prove especially useful in ensuring the safety of teenagers at the wheel; here’s how Zou puts it: “As a parent, you want to improve driving safety for your teenagers. You also want to reduce your insurance costs for your teen drivers. Using our system you can prove that teen drivers are not talking while driving, which can significantly reduce the risk of getting into a car accident.”

The University of Utah has already got the patents for the device and it will probably on the market in about six months (it will cost $50 and users will also have to pay a monthly fee).