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CES NEWS: PhoneGuard Disables Texting, Emailing and Keyboard Functions of Mobile Phones in Moving Vehicles

Texting can be fatal, but despite resounding warnings, deadly traffic accidents caused by distractions like texting occur every day. Concerned parents can now take control of their children’s texting and driving with Drive Safe Software by PhoneGuard. The software can completely eliminate the potential for drivers to ignore anti-text warnings by disabling texting, emailing and keyboard function of a mobile phone in a vehicle moving faster than 10 mph.

By using GPS to track speed and coordinates, Drive Safe Software automatically turns off a mobile phone’s texting capabilities when the phone is in a moving vehicle. Differentiators of PhoneGuard’s Drive Safe Software:

• Disables texting, emailing and other distractions while driving a vehicle. If the phone is moving more than 10 mph, the application automatically disables texting, emailing, surfing the web and instant messaging.
• Knows when a driver is moving at an unsafe speed. By setting the software’s SpeedAlert, the administrator of the phone (parent, employer) is notified when the phone has gone over a certain speed limit by receiving a text message with the speed and location on a map. Exclusive solution to PhoneGuard.
• Puts the phone in Phone TimeOut. The software’s “time-out” feature can be used by parents to control the hours when kids can text, email or surf the web, such as school or work hours.

“PhoneGuard’s Drive Safe Software takes away concerns surrounding driving distractions and the illegal use of cell phones,” said Scott Frohman, CEO of PhoneGuard. “This is a critical tool in saving lives – whether parents or employers are controlling texting on the highways. It’s a small price to pay for incredible protection.”

While all distractions can endanger drivers’ safety, texting is the most alarming, according to the Department of Transportation. In 2009, nearly 5,000 fatal auto crashes involved driver distractions such as texting and cell phones, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported.

Employers can also use Drive Safe Software to control texting by drivers who operate commercial vehicles including trucks, taxis and school buses. Case studies show that no matter how good a driver may be, texting is a distraction that could likely cause an accident. The results can range from having a commercial drivers license revoked to costing a driver or innocent bystanders their lives.

Drive Safe Software is tamper proof, allowing the parent or employer to change settings with use of a password. If the child or employee is a passenger in a moving vehicle, they can press a specified button to request permission from parent or employer to use the text function. Permission can be granted or denied from the parent’s or employer’s cell phone. The software also features Phone TimeOut, which allows parent to specify the time of day texting should be disabled, and SpeedAlert, which sends an email if the driver goes over a certain speed.

Drive Safe Software is available – in English, Spanish and Portuguese – for $29.99 for a single driver and $69.99 for a family three-pack online and at selected retailers. For more information, please visit http://www.PhoneGuard.com