ASA Electronics Targets Distracted Driving With In-Cab Stereo

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — ASA Electronics has announced it is targeting distracted driving via its Jensen Heavy Duty brand that produces stereos for truck cabs.

The newest stereo increases driver safety by automatically muting the audio during incoming messages, the company said at the annual Technology & Maintenance Council meeting here this week.

A message coming in, say from dispatch, might normally cause a driver to reach for his or her phone, but with the new Jensen model, any needed controls are on the wheel. Once the message is received, the stereo’s audio system resumes, and the drivers have never taken their hands off the wheel, ASA said.

“Drivers can safely and intuitively answer phone calls and control their favorite music apps directly from their steering wheel while enjoying the conveniences offered by high-quality Bluetooth streaming audio,” ASA said.

“We really think that it has added a lot of features that are going to improve the safety aspect of the radios,” ASA national accounts manager Justin Garver said, adding that fleets and truck makers typically see stereo radios as an afterthought.

“Every driver relies on and loves his radio,” he said. “When you’re on the road for that long, you have that much need for that product . . . it can be a hub for so many other safety, critical things that the driver does. We’re going to be reducing distracted driving.”

The radio can potentially be used as an active safety device, for instance, by connecting the radio and safety belt activation so the radio won’t work unless the driver buckles up, Garver said. Failing to use a seat belt is a common violation under CSA, the federal government’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, he added.

“We can significantly impact your CSA score by a simple connection,” he said.

ASA is going to target fleets, specifically fleet safety directors, in an effort to convince them the new JCV2015BT stereo is a safety tool, he said.