inthinc Cell Detection Antenna Supports Compliance With Federal Ban on Cell Phone Use While Driving

In-Cab Directional Antenna Captures Drivers’ Cell Phone Activity Using ‘Halo’ Technology, Automatically Triggers Real-Time Safety Alerts to Fleet Management Web Portal

inthinc Technology Solutions Inc., a global company centered on telematics, fleet solutions and driving safety, today announced the availability of a cell and text detection antenna to be added onto inthinc’s driver safety and fleet management solutions. The antenna detects cell phone wave frequencies emitted from the driver seat, verbally warns the user to terminate the call or text and sends real-time alerts to a web portal or directly to a manger. This information allows fleet managers to enforce compliance with company, state and federal regulations, including the standards set forth in the recent NTSB recommendation — reducing distracted driving, costly fines and crashes associated with this dangerous behavior.

In anticipation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association’s (FMCSA) recent ban on all cell phone use for commercial vehicles — and directly supporting the NTSB recommendation — inthinc developed the patented technology to help fleet managers remain compliant with federal regulations. If commercial carriers violate the federal rule, they may face fines of up to $11,000.

“The Department of Transportation has made it clear that the responsibility rests with the carriers and that written anti-cell use policies are not sufficient preventive measures,” said Todd W. Follmer, CEO of inthinc Technology Solutions. “Distracted driving accounts for 16 percent of traffic fatalities; our cell detection service provides the only reliable detection technology in the market, allowing managers to be notified when a cell phone is being used and take appropriate action.”

Working closely with various federal entities, inthinc designed the cell and text detector according to specifications recommended by the FMCSA, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the DOT. Integrated with inthinc’s comprehensive fleet management and driver safety solutions waySmart(TM) and tiwiPro(TM), the new product detects cell phone waves emitted from the driver seat, warns drivers and passengers to terminate the use and reports it to the inthinc.com management portal or directly to a manager. This technology can decipher various wave frequencies including phone calls, text messages and emails. Managers may adjust the settings to either send an in-cab voice alert to drivers when a cell signal is detected, or quietly report the violation to the manager via email or text alert.

Software-based smartphone apps are also available as signal-blocking preventative measures, but may be limited to certain types of smart phones (typically BlackBerry only), or may be challenging to enforce from a management perspective. The inthinc directional antenna is a foolproof cell detection service, sending managers real-time automatic email notifications for cell phone use when drivers’
vehicles are in motion.

inthinc offers comprehensive fleet management and driving safety solutions that change driver behavior in real time to improve safety and fleet efficiency. A unique combination of in-vehicle driver alerts, vehicle location and diagnostics, and fleet management provide detailed performance and trends for individual drivers or the entire fleet. inthinc has proven to deliver immediate results including fewer accidents, improved fuel efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions and potentially millions of dollars in reduced costs per year.

The cell detection antenna is now available for pre-order. Current inthinc customers can upgrade their vehicles with a quick 20-minute installation. For more information, contact inthinc at 866-294-8637 or email contact@inthinc.com.

About inthinc
inthinc is a global company centered on telematics, fleet solutions and driving safety. Its breakthrough driving safety solutions are designed to safeguard lives, save money and protect the environment. inthinc technology dramatically improves driver behavior and has been documented to reduce accidents by more than 80 percent. For more information, please visit http://www.inthinc.com.