Halifax-based Keeping Roads Safe has partnered with national cellphone carrier Telus with the goal of keeping drivers off their phone while they’re on the road.

Co-founded by the father-and-son team of Angus and Josh Poulain, KRS has developed a piece of hardware called DriveCare, which is installed on a vehicle’s power source and communicates with a free-to-download app on the user’s phone. DriveCare locks the user’s phone while he or she is driving and doesn’t unlock the device until the ignition is turned off (unless the driver is dialing 911 or preprogrammed safety numbers).  

Following a business-to-business model, the company has teamed up with Telus Canada to monitor fleets across Canada. Together, they have installed DriveCare in over 8000 Telus-monitored vehicles.

DriveCare also connects with a web-platform so users can track their distance and speed. 

Other transport or delivery companies like FedEx, Amour Transport and Midland have also expressed interest in the product, said the co-founders.  In fact, KRS’s customer base of several thousand users is “about to grow exponentially very soon,” CEO Angus Poulain said in an interview.

In 2018, the company is planning to roll out DriveCare to a consumer market with an app that can communicate with wireless features in a car, eliminating the need for the hardware device.

“So it can connect directly to the Bluetooth in your car, and then we can do all our magic from there,” said CTO Josh Poulain, who developed the initial prototype.

KRS began in 2011 after two members of the Poulain family were in a four-vehicle accident because another driver ran a red light while texting and driving. They walked away with minor injuries but Angus felt determined to find a way to discourage drivers from checking their phones while on the road.

“Our biggest focus was to keep the roads safe,” said Angus Poulain. “Our biggest play with the consumer side is to just have them using the app — it’s primarily to protect families.”

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The company has raised undisclosed amounts since 2011 among family and friends and a few local doctors who were interested in the product. The Poulains are currently in the middle of their first Series A funding.

Working with Grant Thornton, KRS aims to raise $10 million to hone the app and get the product to the consumer market across the globe.

“Texting and driving is a global epidemic,” said Angus Poulain. “We’re planning on having a big presence in Canada but we’re also going to get into European markets.”

Josh and Angus recently travelled to Europe to promote DriveCare, which supports up to 24 different languages and is patent protected in over 150 countries.

Angus Poulain said companies from Australia, Switzerland and Mexico have also expressed an interest in the technology.

The team also partnered with the behavioral sciences department at Dalhousie University to study whether adding a gaming element to their tech would resonate with consumers. By offering rewards and a competitive point system, DriveCare incentivizes distraction-free driving.

“We need to know how to keep them engaged and keep them coming back,” said Josh Poulain.