Nissan's Victorian-era cage will keep your 'daddles' off your phone

Mobile phone use while driving is a growing concern with drivers becoming increasingly tempted to check notifications at the wheel. Research conducted by IAM Roadsmart shows that drivers are four times more likely to be in a crash if they are using a phone whilst driving.

Reaction times are two-times slower than those who are under the influence of alcohol. According to RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams, handheld phone use by drivers has reached epidemic proportions.

Despite the costly fines and high risk of collision associated with vehicle smartphone distraction, there are still drivers who persist with this behaviour.

Smart thinking could save lives
Nissan has come up with a solution for the compulsive phone checkers, by introducing a prototype compartment they’ve dubbed “Signal Shield”. The shield is built into the armrest of Nissan’s Juke crossover and is lined with a Victorian-era style Faraday cage, which blocks all electromagnetic signals.

Drivers simply place their mobile device in the compartment and once the lid is closed, the Signal Shield creates a ‘silent zone’, which blocks incoming and outgoing cellular, Bluetooth and WiFi connections.

A Victorian-era style cage sounds extreme, to say the least. Why not just throw your phone out of view or in your handbag? But according to Alex Smith, Managing Director at Nissan Motor GB Ltd, the Signal Shield presents optional connectivity for those who can’t resist temptation.

“The Nissan Signal Shield concept presents one possible solution for giving drivers the choice to remove all smartphone distractions while driving,” he said.

“This is about delivering more control at the wheel, not less. Some drivers are immune to the activity of their smartphone, but for those who struggle to ignore the beeps and pings, this concept provides a simple solution in this very ‘connected’ world we live in”.

It appears to be a better option than turning off your phone and if drivers wish to listen to music stored on their smartphone, they can do so by connecting to the car’s entertainment system via the USB or auxiliary ports.

Wireless connections can easily be restored by opening the arm rest to reveal the compartment where it can then reconnect with the car’s Bluetooth system.
Safety concerns

Nissan’s prototype comes off the back of various automakers trying to come up with innovative solutions to the problem of distracted drivers.

The idea deserves credit, however, some drivers might see it as a contradiction given we are constantly presented with ways to seamlessly integrate our mobile devices to our car’s controls.

Only last year, General Motors offered Google’s Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay on more than a dozen Chevrolet vehicles for its 2016 model year.

For some, there’s also a certain level of anxiety associated with completely disconnecting from our mobile devices, allowing us to be unreachable in an emergency situation. And it’s hard to imagine drivers placing their phones in a cage voluntarily and disconnecting from the digital world.

Lastly, there’s a very practical point Nissan has failed to consider with this prototype -- mobile phones have an existing ‘do not disturb’ option. If drivers don’t already use this function to disconnect, how would they find the willpower to place their devices in a cage?

Note: For those not up on their Victorian-era English slang, back in the day 'daddles' translated to mean 'hands'.