Nissan Is Testing An In-Car Phone Signal Blocker
Nowadays, nearly every person has a cell phone either on their hip or in their pocket. When getting in the car, that cell phone goes from the pocket onto the dash; a select few choose to be safe and store their phones in the storage box of the cabin while driving. Either way, electronic devices are a major distraction for people on the road and continuously a leading cause of vehicular accidents. As a result, law enforcement has been increasing the surveillance and pressure they put on people who text and drive. With a rise in accidents and injuries in the last ten years, it’s important to find ways of curbing the hazards of these distracting devices.
Simple Design and Use
The Signal Shield is a box built into the center console that allows you to place wireless electronic devices inside of it. When the box is closed and the devices concealed, the wireless signal becomes blocked, disabling the devices from transmitting or receiving a signal. This means that calls, messages, and other notifications are not received, ultimately protecting the driver from distractions and potential hazards. More than that, the Signal Sheild offers an ease of use while driving; if the box is left open, wireless capabilities will function as normal. When the driver wants to be able to hear notifications coming through on the device, they would simply leave the Signal Shield open. If at any time the driver wants to stop the device from receiving a signal, they would only need to close the console.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
One of the greatest things about the Signal Sheild is that it is guaranteed to reduce the number of distractions from incoming calls, texts, and other notifications by disabling the ability for electronic devices to receive or send signals. People often forget to change the sound settings on their phone for notifications when they get in a vehicle. If the device is not set to ‘Do Not Disturb,' the notifications could still be distracting for the driver. Since Nissan’s Signal Shield technology works by simply closing the center console, it does not rely on drivers to manually change their settings. This means drivers can leave their typical phone settings, and automatically shut off the device’s signal instead by closing the console. It allows you to stow your items as you regularly would, while adding the option to block or allow connectivity.
Look For Upgrades in Future Versions
Nissan hinted that they would increase the device's capabilities in the future by adding a button that would enable connectivity when the box is closed. Nissan already features BlueTooth connectivity that allows drivers to easily utilize features of their devices without distracting them while driving, such as accepting calls and talking through the dash of the vehicle. The addition of the Signal Shield is to allow for efficient and convenient connectivity options for the electronic devices inside the car. Instead of having to worry about changing the settings on electronic devices while driving, the Signal Shield will make it as simple as opening and closing the box.