Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from Sprint M2M. All opinions are my own, not that you’d expect anything less from me, right?
Recently, Sprint M2M has launched a line of products for insurance companies that you just install right onto the dashboard of your car…hence the OBD or On-board diagnostics. The particular one I was sent to review is called Cellcontrol and I think it’s a pretty genius device. For real. It’s available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. You’ll want to ask your insurance agent for a UBI device (User Based Insurance).
One of the many things this device does is limit your teen’s (and yours, if you desire) ability to drive and say, Snapchat or text or update their Facebook. Because hey, that’s distracting and has been the cause of way too many car crashes. And let’s be honest, teens are not the only ones guilty of driving while texting or other such cell-phone related distractions.
Enter the UBI devices that run on the Sprint M2M network.
It’s a little device that you install right into your car. It’s called a Cellcontrol Trigger and it looks like this: 
You take that little Cellcontrol Trigger and you install it right into your vehicles OBD port which is always around 3 feet away from your ignition. So…under the dashboard generally. I have a Buick and my port is located by the emergency brake.
Then, you stick the device into the port. Yeah, it’s THAT easy.
Next, you get the Cellcontrol app and install it onto your phone. Set up your account…just follow the instructions on the website. You’ll need access to your computer or via your Smartphone.
Once you are on the homepage of the website, click the ACTIVATE button which will lead you through the process. It literally takes about five minutes.
You can set up a list of phone numbers that the driver will have constant access to, 9-11 is always on there, by the way.
The cool thing about the device, once it is installed, is that you’ll have access to all sorts of information regarding your teen’s driving. You’ll be able to note their speed and violations along with calls to the numbers that they have access to while the car is moving.
As a parent of 4 teens, 2 of which are driving and one is about to start drivers training (one isn’t allowed to even take drivers training until they get their grades up), this device will be installed in all our cars. While I can’t control the environment outside of my children, I can certainly do what I can to insure their safety within the confines of MY environment, including cars. With one device protecting up to 6 cellphones and only costing around $32, it just makes sense to utilize this little tool. And it’s a tiny cost to pay to add one layer of protection around my children.
That’s a very good idea, especially since texting and driving is now illegal in Michigan. Way too many accidents are caused by texting & driving.
Collette´s last blog post ..OOPS!!! (Correction and Turning 50 Shades of Red)