by Jonathan Shen

Created on: July 19, 2010

Hands-free devices should be mandatory no matter what the occasion is.  But the real question is:  Who really needs it?  If you talk on your cell phone a lot (especially when you are driving), then yes, Bluetooth is recommended for you.  If you do not, then it is not necessary.  The answer to this question really depends on how the driver behaves on the road when it comes to cell phone technology on the road.

We all love our cell phones; we all love to text; and we all love to drive.  But there is a price that we now have to pay to the California Law Enforcement and the state government.  Two summers ago, both the California Highway Patrol and all California counties’ police departments had enforced us drivers to use hands-free devices while keeping our eyes on the road.  Now, there had been a law in California, that we cannot text while we are driving.  I know that there are both good and bad signs about talking on our phones while we are driving, but sometimes we cannot help ourselves.  What if there is an urgent call from a friend or a co-worker that we cannot put off until later?  Let us say that a friend of yours calls you up while you are driving, and you try to tell that person that you are driving on the freeway at 65 mph, but the other party does not seem to care; here is what you do:  Jump off the freeway, pull up to a nearby gas station (or 7-Eleven), and finish your call then; just make sure you are not parking in one of those 10 to 20-minute parking spots.

One of the bad signs about talking on a cell phone while driving is that the driver can easily get distracted because of multi-tasking.  Cradling your handset to your ear, while attempting to still put two hands on the wheel is such a dangerous combination that I would not even go about telling you more.  If you do talk on your cell phone, and your other hand is on the wheel, you better have some insurance if you end up hitting someone.  Once your phone rings, do not pick up!  Let the other party leave you a voicemail, that is, if your phone is set up with one.

Luckily, we can get over this madness; most electronics stores now have portable Bluetooth devices that they sell which you can either hang over your ear (although I think those are a real pain in the butt), or aftermarket Bluetooth devices that you can install with your car’s stereo.  These are great investments, and I think that you should take your money and purchase one, if you are willing to maybe switch your standard stereo for an aftermarket one with the Bluetooth already built-in.  Another way to stay safe on the road and talk on your phone at the same time is that if your phone has a built-in speakerphone, turn on your speakerphone, and place the phone on your lap.  It may not be that practical for you, but that is what we need to learn about “hands-free technology.” 

So, what have we learned?  Cell phones and driving are a dangerous combination unless you really know what you are doing, and what you are trying to get yourself into.

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