Richland Source has a box of life-saving devices in our office. They are simple to use, incredibly effective, require no surgery, and we are giving them away. To get one, all you have to do is agree to test it for a month and be interviewed about your experience. Allow me to explain…
Back in October, Richland Source, Mansfield Motor Group, the Richland County Health Department, and Cellcontrol (more on them later) partnered to bring an innovative citizenship and safe driving program to each of the high schools in Richland County. Every twelfth grader was eligible to participate and – if they met the requirements through the school year – win a new Nissan Versa or $10,000.
We couldn’t be happier with the results so far. Over two hundred students chose to participate in a contest that required they maintain a grade point average of 3.0, avoid any unexcused absences or detentions during their senior year, and stay out of trouble with law enforcement.
Dirk Schluter, of Mansfield Motor Group on Park Avenue West, arranged for a company called Cellcontrol to be a co-sponsor of the contest. Cellcontrol manufactures a device that can disable the driver’s smartphone while the car is moving, eliminating texting, e-mailing, selfies, and incoming calls while the driver is piloting the vehicle. The device is incredibly simple.
The user simply downloads the app on to the phones she would like protected, goes through a short configuration process on the Cellcontrol website, and plugs in the device. Within fifteen minutes, the driver is protected from distraction.
I have been personally testing the Cellcontrol for over a month now. It works embarrassingly well. What I mean by that is that I had no idea how distracted I was while driving, and I am a little ashamed to admit it. I was a disaster waiting to happen.
The good news is that my habits are changing. I pay more attention to the road, enjoy better conversations with my wife and kids while driving, have some time to think, and can always pull over if necessary to make a call or check e-mail.
So here’s the deal. We need volunteers. Richland Source has eight Cellcontrols that we are giving away (they retail for $89 each). Each one comes with a one year activation and works with Android, Windows, and Blackberry phones (an iPhone version is shipping in March, but will not be available for this test). All we are asking is that you install the device in one of your vehicles, use it, and be interviewed for an upcoming story.
If you would like to participate, act quickly. E-mail me at jay@richlandsource.com and we will reserve one for you to pick up. In the meantime, wave to me if you see me driving. I will be the one paying attention to what I’m doing.
