Nissan has developed a new prototype compartment that can actively block all incoming and outgoing messages on your mobile phone in an effort to reduce deadly driver distractions.
Called the ‘Signal Shield’, the concept is mounted in the armrest of a Nissan Juke, which is covered in conductive wire mesh material to block all cellular, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.
The wire mesh acts like a giant receiver and distributes any electromagnetic signals across the conductive material of the compartment, which prevents it from reaching the phone itself.
Nissan says that this can dramatically reduce driver distraction at the wheel, as motorists won’t be tempted to habitually check their phone messages if they know they’re not able to receive any.
In order to restore the phone’s connections and receive calls and messages, drivers can simply open the armrest compartment to let their device reconnect to its mobile network and to the car’s Bluetooth system.
If drivers want to listen to music stored in their smartphone, the Signal Shield compartment comes with USB and Aux ports which allows music to be streamed but which still blocks messaging services.
RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: “Our research shows that handheld phone use by drivers has reached epidemic proportions.
“The Nissan Signal Shield is a good example of a technology that can help drivers be phone smart. For those who can’t avoid the temptation, this simple but pretty clever tech gives them a valuable mobile-free zone.”
Unfortunately, the Signal Shield for now exists in concept form only and Nissan currently doesn’t appear to have a timeframe for it to appear on its options lists.
