In partnership with a neuroscientific research institute, we studied the effects of smartphones on traffic safety among children. The results showed that smartphones are a constant threat of distraction for cycling children - even when they aren’t using them. Notifications from incoming messages like Whatsapp or Snapchat immediately decrease their focus on traffic. Kids can’t help being curious, and smartphone notifications demand instant attention.

Current options to block distractions or limit the usability of smartphones are limited. And apps or recent innovations such as Apple’s Car Mode or Samsung’s Do Not Distract mode either need to be turned on manually, which is easily forgotten, or can be simply switched off, offering an easy way out to a generation that always wants to stay in touch with their friends.

The Safe Lock connects to the Safe Lock app on the child’s phone via Bluetooth. When the bicycle is unlocked, it sends a signal to the app. The app then sends a signal to the KPN network, which will temporarily block all data and voice communication to and from the child’s smartphone. When the lock is closed again, a second signal is sent from the lock to the app, and the app notifies the KPN network to enable all data- and voice communication to the smartphone again.

The Safe Lock and app are currently being developed for Android as a first launching product. Development for the IoS app will commence next year after the Android launch.

The enhancement of the KPN cellular network will be completed by the end of November 2017. We will then start a pilot phase, during which we will test the Safe Lock together with a group of KPN members - both children and their parents. Learnings from this pilot will form the basis of our final stage of development. The launch of the Safe Lock is scheduled for early 2018.