National Safety Council and Aegis Mobility Announce Partnership Agreement

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Feb 10, 2010, 12:36 ET

Partnership Promotes Corporate Cell Phone Driving Safety

ITASCA, Ill., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Safety Council (NSC) announced today it has entered into a strategic alliance with Aegis Mobility to introduce Aegis Mobility's DriveAssist™ Guardian to NSC's 20,000 member organizations. DriveAssist Guardian™ enables cell phones to automatically detect when a cell phone user is in a moving vehicle and provides a responsible alternative to managing text messages, phone calls and Internet activity without the active involvement of the driver. Guardian is currently in business validation trials with customers, and will be commercially available to NSC members and other organizations in the second quarter 2010.

"We are pleased to partner with Aegis Mobility to provide technology solutions to distracted driving to employers," said Janet Froetscher, President and CEO of the NSC. "Drivers are four times as likely to be in crashes while they are using cell phones and have even higher crash risks while engaged in text messaging. Employers that allow their employees to use cell phones or text while driving increase the risk of injury to their employees and others with whom they share the roads. Hundreds of NSC member companies have taken action to reduce these risks by enacting policies that prohibit their employees from using cell phones or text messaging while driving. Employers have an additional concern about liability for crashes caused by their employees using cell phones while driving."

"We believe it will take education, laws, enforcement, business policies and technology to address the issue of cell phone use while driving in a comprehensive way," Froetscher said. "We are pleased to partner with Aegis Mobility to introduce the DriveAssist technology to our member organizations," Froetscher said. "This partnership is an example of how the private sector and safety community can work together to effectively address the epidemic of distracted driving and make our roads safer."

"DriveAssist provides an alternative to handle incoming and outgoing calls while people are driving, providing employers assurance that their employees are not using cell phones while driving," according to Timothy Smith, Chairman of Aegis Mobility. "Three years of research and development have paid off, and we are inviting NSC corporations to further their leadership position on this growing public policy issue. We are excited about joining NSC's efforts to increase awareness and safety, while reducing corporate liability, and offering drivers the freedom and flexibility that cell phones provide."

Aegis Mobility DriveAssist Guardian is automatically initiated when a vehicle is in motion, and is designed to deter outgoing phone use unless the subscriber is a passenger and overrides the service. Incoming calls go to voice mail and texts are stored until driving has ended. DriveAssist tracks and reports phone usage while driving, and can be customized to meet specific corporate cell phone policies, as well as comply with all applicable federal, state and local bans and restrictions on cell phone driving. Emergency calls through the 911 system are always allowed.

About The National Safety Council

The National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) saves lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the roads, through leadership, research, education and advocacy.

About Aegis Mobility™, Inc.

Aegis Mobility, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, creates innovative solutions for cell phone driving that enable people to manage their mobile communications based on activity, location, time and caller identity, putting people in control of their lives while increasing their productivity and ensuring their personal privacy. For more information, please visit www.aegismobility.com or call +1.604.899.1008.

SOURCE National Safety Council