A Do Not Disturb Button on Steering Wheels. Mute Everything and Block Calls.
By
Staten Island, NY Posted: 11/22/2014 1:00:00 AM
Sometimes you just plain need to concentrate on the road.
Mute buttons aren't new; a lot of cars have had them since the 90s. Before Bluetooth came along, Mute Buttons came in handy when your phone rang, so you could instantly silent the radio and answer the phone.
Now that most cars have Bluetooth, you no longer need a Mute Button, because it usually mutes the radio when a call comes in, so you can talk hands free.
I think it's time we re-think the purpose of a mute button. Instead of muting the radio so you can answer the phone, a Mute Button should allow you to BLOCK the call in the first place.
Simply stated, there are times when a phone call can be a dangerous distraction. Rather than reach for the phone and looking for the "Do Not Disturb" option, a steering wheel button could allow you to block inbound calls and texts until you are ready to receive them
Here's how it would work. When you hit the button, it would send a signal to your cell phone to put it into a "Do Not Disturb" setting. This is not to be confused with "Flight Mode", which turns off the phone and any wireless settings. Your phone will still be on, just silent.
If you ask me, I'd even make it a switch, rather than a button, so you can leave it in the off position by default, so unless you turn it back on, your entire trip can be a distraction free zone from the moment you enter the car.
Joe Crescenzi, Founder
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