``Real Solution'' for Hands-Free Cell Phone Safety

    KANSAS CITY, Kan.--June 11, 2001--Cellport Systems:

    Policymakers and Industry Influencers Join in Kansas City On
    June 12-13 for Car Telecommunications Safety Discussions

    Pat Kennedy, chairman and CEO of Cellport Systems, a developer and marketer of universal hands-free in-vehicle cell phone systems, will address an invited audience of legislators, telecommunications industry leaders, automakers, insurance companies, government regulators, and traffic safety advocates at the Telematics Partnership Forum sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to be held June 12-13 in Kansas City, Kansas.
    Kennedy will present his perspectives on technology solutions that are needed to create a safer environment for in-vehicle cell phone use.
    The Telematics Partnership Forum is being held in an effort to help provide state legislators and their senior staff with policy options as they examine safety issues related to telecommunications technology in motor vehicles. Telematics can be defined as an extension of the wireless or mobile communications market, which overlaps with the wireless Internet and mobile commerce.
    "Experts predict that by 2010, the global market for telematics technology will be as high as $50 billion," said NCSL Executive Director William Pound. "With this type of financial impact, state legislators will need to understand the policy, safety and technology issues at stake in order to make informed decisions."
    Driver distractions, including those caused by cell phone use, are thought to contribute to 20-30 percent of traffic accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). As a result, many jurisdictions have mandated that drivers use hands-free systems when using mobile phones in the vehicle, including 18 countries worldwide and 11 U.S. jurisdictions, according to NCSL.
    "This hands-free safety issue is a multi-billion dollar problem in the U.S. that needs acknowledgment -- it's an expense currently left to be paid by consumers and insurance companies," says Kennedy. "Cellport is committed to participating in industry and public efforts for improved cell phone safety and promoting responsible cell phone use."