Webster business man calling for safe driving practices

Chuck Serapilio, of Webster, refuses to text on his BlackBerry or make calls without a hands-free device while driving.

“I’m the guy in the car next to you, yelling and telling you to put the phone down,” he said. “Unless you’re a brain surgeon or on your way to save someone’s life, there’s really no text message that’s that important at the end of the day.”

That’s why Serapilio is at the helm of a new consumer device that blocks cell phone usage in a moving car.

The device — sold by Cellution, Inc., of which Serapilio is president — is a $99 product that plugs into a car’s computer system. Key2SafeDriving blocks the phone from sending and receiving text messages or e-mails, making or receiving calls, and browsing the Internet. After the device is placed in the car, parents can download an application to the driver’s smart phone. Once the car is turned on, the phone will be useless — and it can only be turned off by a parent’s pass code.

If the device is pulled from the car’s in-dash computer, a “nanny alert” will be sent to parents to let them know their child has removed the device — and the ban on cell phone usage in the car. Even after the device is pulled from the computer, the cell phone can still only be used to dial three pre-programmed numbers — Mom, Dad and 911. Texting, e-mails and all other activities will still be blocked.

“Regardless of what you try to do, it’s always going to revert back to those numbers,” Serapilio said.

The block will stay paired to the phone as long as the car is on, or until the user exits the vehicle and walks 15 feet away.

Cellution works to manage cell phone services for corporations, and bought the license and rights to Key2SafeDriving to help corporate clients. Serapilio says more than $50 million was paid out during litigation by corporations last year because of employees’ cell phone use while driving. Now, the product is available commercially online, and Serapilio hopes to have it in stores later this year.

Texting and talking on the phone while driving are both illegal in New York state, joining 28 other states nationwide with the ban.

According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, distracted driving — which includes cell phone usage — is on the rise, particularly with young people.

The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted driving was the under-20 age group, with 16 percent of all fatal crashes involving distracted driving.

“Where we’re going to dinner is not important,” Serapilio said. “What is important is that you’re driving around a 4,000-pound killing machine.”

The Key2SafeDriving, however, stops all from using the phone in the car with the device. Serapilio says that people nowadays are programmed to reach for the phone when it vibrates or starts ringing.

“You change behavior because (the device) stops behavior immediately,” he said. “It’s about changing mindset from ‘you’re invincible’ to ‘you will die.’ People don’t realize it until someone dies.”

Key2SafeDriving also makes sure cell phones won’t ring — making it so alerts are kept silent and hidden until the car is turned off.

Recent studies show that texting while driving — both reading and responding — could actually be up to eight times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated.

“Would you let your kid drive drunk? Never,” he said. “So why would you let your kid text and drive, which is proven eight times worse?”