Signal jammers are changing our lives

A few years ago, the Federal Communications Commission fined a Florida man $ 48,000 for using an illegal signal jammer during his daily commute to prevent drivers from committing close to using their cell phone.

It is illegal to have a mobile phone in hand while driving in California and in at least a dozen other states. But that does not stop people from doing it...

There is not a day going on without meeting foolish idiots who put themselves and those around them at risk by talking or texting on the road.

"If parents have the opportunity to put their children on the right footing and develop safe driving habits, this could be a real safety benefit," said Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety Group. rights advocate based in Sacramento. .

"But if this is seen as a way to change the behavior of all drivers, it seems unlikely that those who are the worst offenders in terms of phone use are inclined to buy this option," he said. she says.

And if such technology was mandatory, Shahan observed, "What about being able to join 911 in an emergency where it's not safe to leave the road, or use a phone to navigate or to get directions? "

The US Road Safety Administration reported the death of 37,133 people in a traffic accident last year, and more than 3,000 were distracted drivers. Every year, thousands of people are injured by drivers who turn their eyes away from the road.

I contacted the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an industry group, to get an idea of ​​the position of car manufacturers. Bryan Goodman, a spokesman for the organization, said automakers took the case seriously.

"We can all agree that hands on the wheel and eyes on the road continue to be essential for safe driving," he said, adding that mobile phones "have never been designed to be used driving".

But Goodman insisted that the industry can only do a lot. He sent me a link to an FCC page dealing with the problem

According to federal law, "Federal law prohibits the exploitation, marketing or sale of any type of jamming equipment, including devices disrupting cellular and personal communications services, police radar, positioning systems. global (GPS) and wireless network services (WiFi). . "

"Blocking devices pose serious security risks," said P. Michele Ellison, Chief of the Agency's Anti-Fraud Office, in a statement posted on the webpage. "Over the coming weeks and months, we will intensify our efforts through partnerships with law enforcement agencies to crack down on those who continue to break the law."

The agency lives in a world where low-power cell phone jammer could have a range of about 30 feet, while more sophisticated equipment could block all transmissions the size of a football field. These obviously raise questions of public safety.

But what would happen if small-scale jamming technology could be installed in a steering wheel with a range of a few inches, not enough to affect surrounding vehicles, or even the other occupants of the car, but enough to prevent drivers to be stupid?

"It could be done," said Todd Humphreys, an associate professor of engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. "Properly calibrated, scrambling would be enough to master the driver's phone near the steering wheel, but not enough