Ted Chen is the co-founder and CEO of Lifesaver Mobile, a leading voice in fleet safety innovation with experience from Wharton to Yahoo. Ted brings a rare blend of business strategy and tech leadership to one of today's biggest driving challenges: distracted driving. At Lifesaver Mobile, he's helping fleets prevent phone use behind the wheel through patented real-time technology that's reshaping how companies approach driver safety. From major partnerships to measurable impact, Ted is driving real change in an industry where phone distraction has become the number one cause of crashes.

In this episode…

Distracted driving continues to surge as the leading cause of fleet crashes, yet traditional solutions often fall short of meaningful prevention. Video telematics may capture risky behavior, but coaching resources are limited, and drivers consistently find ways to work around monitoring systems. With mobile devices designed to be addictive and phone usage occurring on virtually every drive, how can fleets move beyond reactive data collection to proactive prevention that actually works?

According to Ted Chen, the answer lies in "engineered safety" solutions that eliminate choice rather than rely on willpower alone. He highlights how software-based restrictions can be configured to match any company policy while maintaining productivity, creating accountability through comprehensive reporting, and addressing the unique challenges of personal device usage alongside company equipment. Unlike other distractions, Ted explains, phone use requires restriction-based enforcement because the technology was specifically designed to be addictive — making traditional training and awareness insufficient on their own.

In this episode of Roadrageous, hosts Liam Hoch and Chad Lindholm sit down with Ted Chen, co-founder and CEO of Lifesaver Mobile, to discuss how engineered safety solutions are transforming fleet approaches to distracted driving. They explore the limitations of video telematics for phone distraction, the balance between safety and productivity through configurable policies, and strategies for addressing both company and personal device usage. Ted also shares insights on building comprehensive safety programs, the role of voice technology in real-time alerts, and practical steps fleet managers can take to create lasting change in driver behavior.