Ranger Phone Unaffected by Upcoming Nation-wide Cell Phone Ban

Rumors continue to swirl about America's proposed ban of cell phone use while driving, both for voice communication and text messages. President Barack Obama has already banned federal employees from texting whenever they are on the job, driving a federal vehicle, or using a government-supplied cell phone. The ban affects 4.5 million Americans. Should a ban be passed, it will become illegal for any company to communicate with their fleet drivers via cell phone.

While the ban seems to be common sense, it sometimes takes a tragedy for the government to pass a law outlawing behavior. The head-on collision of a Metrolink commuter train with a Union Pacific freight train in the Chatsworth district of Los Angeles, California in September 2008 that killed 25 people and injured 135, resulted from an engineer who ran a double red stop indicator while text messaging, creating America's worst rail disaster in 15 years. The train's brakes were never applied.

Drivers of any type of vehicle are equally at risk. A recent study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute says that drivers who text while behind the wheel are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision than those who don't.

While it may be obvious that texting while driving puts people in a world of risk, a nation-wide policy ban may still have little impact on driver behavior because many companies who issue anti-texting policies have no simple way to enforce them, and end up with the same risk factors from both a safety and litigation perspective. Concern for safety should always be of paramount importance for any company that operates a fleet of vehicles. Taking the cell phone out of a driver's hand is the only guaranteed method of managing inappropriate use. However, communications with a fleet is critical to business operations and cannot be eliminated.

Mentor Ranger® is an in-vehicle mobile computer that can solve these problems for any company operating a fleet of vehicles. The Ranger Phone module provides complete cellular voice communications, but usage is fully controlled to maximize safety. The on-board cell phone of the rugged, Ranger computer allows drivers full communication but gives management control over when drivers can use the phone and with whom they can speak. Companies can create a customizable call list, allowing drivers to speak with supervisors, dispatch, 911, customers, or anyone - but all functionality is disabled once the vehicle is in motion or passes a set speed threshold. Incoming calls when the vehicle is moving are saved as voicemails and can be accessed only once the vehicle is stopped.

Some companies have employed consumer products like smartphones as a means of communicating with their employees, but these devices frequently include applications (games, video, etc.) that are difficult for management to monitor or control. The Ranger Phone module is a business communications tool only that is controlled by management. It combines safety, cost reductions, and work force efficiency.

In addition to protecting passengers and drivers from the dangers of distracted driving, Ranger Phone can protect companies from lawsuits by preventing drivers from involving company equipment in a phone-related collision.