Mobile phones have become an inseparable part of our lives, taking our full attention and endangering us on the roads. SaverOne wants to turn this technology, which was once a great threat, into a protective shield that is always with us.
The mobile phone, which now consumes an average of one third of our waking hours and constantly distracts us, has become an indispensable part of our communication and has extended itself as a physical part of our bodies, affecting all aspects of our lives.
According to research, people check their mobile phones an average of every 15 minutes and it takes them 20 more minutes to fully refocus on their ongoing activities. This is especially true in our workplaces: a survey conducted in the US found that workers’ minds wander for an average of two and a half hours a day due to content that is not related to their work.
If we add to that the fact that 80% of the global workforce does not hold a fixed position (remote workers, non-office workers, etc.) and therefore lack supervision, it is clear that there is a problem – not only in lower productivity but also in increased workplace accidents.
However, the main damage and risk posed by our digital devices is not in the workplace, but on the roads: distracted driving is now the leading cause of road accidents worldwide. According to The Or Yarok Association for Safer Driving in Israel, in 2021, there were close to 500 daily reports of traffic incidents involving the use of a mobile phone while driving, a 31% increase from 2020. And it’s not just drivers who are on their phones, but also other road users – pedestrians, riders of small vehicles and scooters, etc.
The enlightened side of technology:
With the awareness of the risks posed by uncontrolled mobile phone use, and in light of educational initiatives, a new trend has emerged in recent years to address these risks through the same technology that created them. Today, there are many applications that allow device owners to limit their mobile phone usage time, including timers that alert users when the time they set for themselves is about to end. Additionally, “time-shifting” applications like the Forest app are offered in app stores, which allow users to “grow” a tree while they themselves avoid using their device.
In all that is related to the phenomenon of “cellular distraction”, at SaverOne we strive to provide the most practical solution – preventing road accidents caused by the distraction of mobile device use while driving, and to do so we use the most advanced technological means. Like in our dedicated employee apps, the secret here is leveraging technology to our advantage, turning it from the source of the problem into the solution.
SaverOne’s solutions are divided into two:
The first involves installing an intelligent system in the vehicle, which detects the driver’s mobile phone network as soon as the journey begins and activates the “Protection Mode”. In practice, the system disables the use of predefined distracting applications. It should be noted that the system can distinguish between distracting applications that are not necessary for driving and those that are required for the driver, such as navigation and calling.
The second solution is designed to assist drivers and road users by monitoring their mobile devices in the surrounding environment. This solution, which is based on VRU technology, is currently in development and aims to identify pedestrians around vehicles. This is done through advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) that detect the mobile devices of nearby road users and are capable of warning the drivers in real-time.
After struggling for years to address the dangers posed by the widespread use of mobile devices, we are proud to announce that two of SaverOne’s innovations are changing the game. These advancements utilize the existing technology in mobile phones – the one that has made us more connected and vulnerable – to create a safer urban environment, offering us optimal protection, even while driving.
