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Jupiter man develops a way to prevent texting and driving

Posted at 11:26 AM, Jan 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-02 05:03:10-05

Texting and driving has become a major factor in accidents caused by distracted driving, particularly among young drivers.

The National Safety Council says one out of every four accidents in the U.S. is caused by texting and driving.

Antony Livingston of Jupiter felt he had to do something about it so he created a device simply called: "Distracted Driving Device."

"Basically, because of my kids, more than anything.  They were all starting to drive and I noticed that a lot of people were texting and driving. With all the statistics out there and with the amount of people that are being hurt by distracted driving, I figured this is a good way to stop this," said Livingston.

Here's how it works: Your cellphone goes into a docking station, which is in the glove compartment and wired directly to the vehicle.

"It takes it out of your hands and out of your sight and it truly works because it's hard-wired in the vehicle,” Livingston said.

“All the other apps out there can be disabled so the person who has it can turn it off anytime they want to," he added.

With the Distracted Driving Device, the car won't start unless the phone is in the dock. If the phone is removed, the device administrator, usually a parent, is notified.

For parents, your children may not like the idea at first, but hopefully, they'll understand you're only trying to make sure they arrive alive.