TransUnion and Cellcontrol, a leader in distracted driving prevention and usage-based insurance data collection, have joined forces to offer a new technology that helps combat cell phone use among teen drivers.

A recent TransUnion survey found the demand for products that discourage cell phone use while driving was significant. The survey of parents of teen drivers found that their most common concern about their child’s driving safety was talking on or holding the phone (66 percent) followed by typing, texting or interacting with their phone (63 percent) while behind the wheel. In fact, parents are twice as likely to worry about their teen driving while texting or interacting with their phone than driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (34 percent).

“A new technology market for distracted driving solutions is evolving due to increased driving-related injuries and fatalities as a result of smart phone use,” said Mark McElroy, executive vice president of TransUnion’s insurance business unit. “While new laws have been passed in more than 40 states to regulate mobile phone calling and texting while driving, our partnership with Cellcontrol will provide additional benefits and security features to consumers. This is a positive example of how technology and information can help reduce insurance liability, accident costs, injuries and most importantly, the loss of human lives.”

Roughly three in four parents (74 percent) have instructed their teen to turn off their phone, but that is often not enough to prevent distracted driving, according to the survey. More than one in three parents (35 percent) has taken active steps to make driving safer for their teen by physically disabling their child’s phone when they are driving.

Cellcontrol’s proprietary DriveID™ technology has multiple modes of operation. Protection mode is the insurance industry’s first and only driver identification platform that accurately detects who sits in the driver’s seat and immobilizes devices so that drivers cannot inappropriately use these devices while driving.

Audit mode allows for use of the device while driving to be monitored thus creating a clearer view of the risk an individual poses to an insurer or the basis for discussion about driver safety for families.

DriveID comes ready to stop all mobile distractions, including texts, phone calls, emails and web browsing. Emergency calls (i.e. 911) are always allowed through the system, and parents or account managers can decide which mobile functions to allow in ‘protection mode’ through an easy-to-use online application. Parents can also receive notifications of excessive speed, hard braking, device tampering and tracking the driving route of each trip.