The soon-to-be-available, new computerized automobile ignition key – “Key2SafeDriving” – will prevent people from talking on mobile phones or text messaging while driving. The system includes a device that connects wirelessly with each key user’s cell phone via either Bluetooth or RFID (radio-frequency identification) technologies.

Once slipped into a car’s ignition, the key would work by sending a wireless signal to a driver’s mobile phone, placing it in “driving mode” and displaying a “stop” sign on the phone’s display screen, blocking calls and texting.

All incoming calls and texts are automatically answered with a message saying, “I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely.”

The new device has been invented by Xuesong Zhou - an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering - and Dr. Wallace Curry - a University of Utah graduate now practicing medicine in Hays, Kan. The device is being marketed as a means by which parents can prevent teenage drivers from focusing their attention on anything other than the road. 

Talking about the device, Xuesong Zhou said: “The key to safe driving is to avoid distraction. We want to provide a simple, cost-effective solution to improve driving safety.”

According to a statement released, the university has obtained provisional patents and licensed the invention to a private company that hopes to see it on the market within six months at a cost of less than $50 per key, and, in addition, a yet-undetermined monthly service fee.