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Q: Does the device only sound the alert when someone is driving?
A: Yes. The CellCoachTM deterrent is powered by the vehicle's ignition power supply, meaning that the unit is only on if the vehicle's ignition is on.
Q: How does the device or system know that it is being utilized in a car? Does is just alert when the car is moving?
A: The CellCoachTM deterrent detects cell phone use within an approximate 5' radius of its mounting location (under the vehicle's dashboard). This eliminates false readings from cell phones used in nearby vehicles. The unit is in operation anytime that the vehicle's ignition is on, whether it is moving or stopped. If the vehicle's ignition is turned off, the CellCoachTM is disabled. The unit includes a set of keys so that parents or fleet supervisors can turn the unit off anytime. The CellCoachTM will work in any type of vehicle... cars, buses, trucks, cranes, bulldozers and other vehicles where driver safety is paramount.
Q: Does CellCoachTM distinguish between those who are driving and those who are passengers (and presumably safe to make calls or text)? Does it distinguish between cars, trains, boats and planes, too (wherein people are in motion but are unlikely to be operating the vehicle)?
A: The CellCoachTM detection capabilities are regulated by sensitivity. Its range of detection is approximately 5 feet. Some vehicles may have enough space inside the cabin to allow a passenger to use a cell phone if they are seated far enough from the unit's mounting location to be outside of its range of detection. Since the CellCoachTM only works in the vehicle in which it is installed, it is up to the vehicle owner or fleet manager to decide which vehicles are protected. There are ways to intentionally provide areas of safe cell phone use near the unit's location by creating a radio signal barrier constructed of copper or brass mesh or aluminum paneling. These are affordable materials and can easily be custom fitted based upon unique needs. For example, use of a cell phone by a bus driver will trigger the alert. Passengers seated behind him will most likely NOT trigger the alarm. If you wanted to ensure that a passenger seated behind the driver could use a cell phone without triggering the alert, a panel of brass or copper mesh, or a panel of aluminum could be fitted behind the driver to block the passenger's cell phone signal from being detected by the CellCoachTM.
Q: Is there statistical evidence or studies that suggest that the alert would actually stop people from dialing or texting?
A: The CellCoachTM deterrent is so new that there have been no clinical trials performed yet. The studies are informal. The inventor of the product even stopped using his own cell phone in his text vehicle after 2 days of use due to the annoyance... until he remembered that it was his own invention, he was 43, and could take the CellCoachTM out without upsetting his parents. The CellCoachTM can be removed from its permanent location, but it is not as easy as unplugging something. To be removed it must actually be unwired, or un-installed. For public fleet use, it is possible to utilize a tamper resistant housing mounted with unique fasteners that a normal person could not remove.
Teens have encountered the CellCoachTM deterrent and dislike the alarm. They have stated that they don't want one in their car because it would force them to drive around with their cell phones turned off. It's most likely going to take a parent to decide to install the CellCoachTM into their teen's car to prevent accidents. A parent can easily verify that their teen hasn't vandalized the system by simply using a cell phone in their teen's car while it is running to prove that it is still active. The unit itself is not easy to damage. Vandalism by a teen would most likely involve cutting a power supply wire which is easy to repair. Since its mounting location is under the vehicle's dashboard, it would require an effort to disable the unit.
Would you personally want to use your cell phone while you were driving if you had to listen to "BEEEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEP!" every time? The CellCoachTM alerts to cell phone use whether it is for voice calls or texting. The CellCoachTM detects the signals given off from a nearby cell phone during signal receipt and transmission of any kind of message.
Q: Why don’t you offer product that disables the phone totally while driving instead (other than for calling 911)?
A: To disable a phone requires an interruption of the radio frequencies that make it function. Products that do that exact thing exist and are in limited use in some countries, but they are illegal in the United States and most other countries. Those products are called cell phone jammers. The FCC has declared those products to be illegal and enforce a $11,000 fine and confiscation of the product if they encounter one. The CellCoachTM is 100% legal. It responds to radio frequency detection and alerts to it. It does not actually interfere with cell phone function. This allows for the phone to be used for emergency communication in the vehicle. The CellCoach is a 'coaching' device designed to modify driver behavior.
Q: Who hears the alert? Just the dialer/texter? Or the listener/text recipient as well?
A: The CellCoachTM alert emanates from a buzzer/speaker that is attached within its electronics housing. OSHA allows up to 120 decibels of loudness. The CellCoachTM alert is approximately 90 decibels, well within safety guidelines. During voice calls, the person located elsewhere (not in the vehicle equipped with the CellCoachTM) will hear the alert, but not at a loud level. The driver of the vehicle will hear the alert loudly, making them want to get off of the phone. If the driver sends a text message, they will hear the alert for a minimum of 10 seconds. The recipient of the text will hear nothing.
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