Nissan has unveiled Signal Shield – a shielded compartment which can block cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals from reaching drivers in a vehicle.
Smartphone use has managed to reverse a 40-year decline in road accidents in the United States, and that’s a trend that is rapidly proliferating around the world. Nissan has now debuted a conceptual answer in the form of Signal Shield – a shielded compartment which blocks cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals.
Signal Shield is placed within a modified armrest compartment – similar to the housings that might have connected your feature phone to your car speaker system, back in the day – and users can stow their smart device away while driving.
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Rather than follow the premise of CarPlay or Android Auto – which places smartphone essentials at one’s fingertips – Signal Shield takes a more invasive approach by blocking all incoming communication. The evident principle of the system, rather than encourage communication on the road, is to encourage drivers to focus on the task ahead.
Signal Shield is, at the moment, an entirely conceptual system that Nissan has demonstrated about its Juke range, and might not ever be made an official addition to any vehicle. Still, the initiative has managed to turn heads on social media, where road users have lent their voices to the debate on smartphone use in the road.
Technology firms have taken various steps to reduce smartphone usage – or distraction, in general – while on road. Just last week Mercedez-Benz debuted Amazon Echo and Google Assistant compatibility for their vehicles, enabling drivers to issue voice commands while on-the-go.
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What are your thoughts? Can Nissan’s Signal Shield work as a concept, or would you be tempted to check your phone while driving? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
