Cell Phone Hands-Free Laws

You are waiting at a light. You turn around, and the person in the next car looks like she is chatting--to herself. She may be an eccentric. Or she may be talking on her cell phone, using a hands-free wireless device because your State mandates that she do so while driving.

Hands-free cell phone devices such as headsets and car-kits are becoming more widespread and more sophisticated, thanks to the increasing numbers of States or municipalities (including the Nation's capital) banning the use of hand-held cell phones while at the wheel.

Cell Phone Hands-free Laws Explained
What are cell phone hands-free laws? While the specific details may vary between different States and municipalities, hands-free laws are rules mandating that if you plan to dial and drive, you may only do so with the aid of a hands-free device or accessory. In other words, no putting your cell phone to your ear--or your day may be made more colorful by the sudden flashing of red and blue lights in your rearview mirror.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, there are two major risks associated with using a cell phone while at the wheel: the first is that the driver may take his eyes and hands off the main task (which is driving!); the second is that the conversation may distract the driver to the point that an accident can occur.

So--you may say--wait a minute. Hands-free laws may greatly reduce the impact of the first risk; but how do they address the second? And you may have a point--because even if cell phones were outright banned, there are other things drivers can do that are distracting--such as talking to a passenger, changing radio stations, reading a billboard, checking that their socks match and a host of other activities that clearly cannot all be banned.

In spite of this point of debate, hands-free laws make sense--for two main reasons: a) because they do free up your hands and your eyes to operate your car a lot more safely and b) because they are the law. And c) because they allow you to use some really neat gadgets and accessories previously seen only in spy flicks and in movies about the future.

Hands-free Cell Phone Gadgets, Accessories, Kits
Hands-free devices and accessories come in many configurations and employ different technologies. One of the most common and basic is what is known as a car kit, which usually consists of a dashboard-mounted shoe for the cell phone, a speaker that plugs into your car's lighter and an ear-bud that allows you complete hands-free operation.

An even more sophisticated version of this involves the popular Bluetooth technology, which does away with wires linking your cell phone and your ear. A simple hands-free device you wear around your ear allows you to carry on a conversation even if you leave your cell phone in your pocket. Many popular cell phones available today feature Bluetooth technology.

Also, more and more new cell phones feature a hands-free voice-dialing feature--upon your spoken command "call home/call office/call aunt Mavis," the phone recognizes the number from a pre-programmed list and dials it without you even having to look at the unit. These are all dazzling technologies--and some of them have actually been spurred on by hands-free laws becoming more and more the norm. However, be sure to check your local laws, since what's allowed may vary from one jurisdiction to another.

So, next time the driver next to you looks like she's animatedly talking to herself, consider that she may not be crazy after all--she may be just obeying State law, as should you.

About Wirefly

Launched in 2003, Wirefly (www.wirefly.com) is an online leader in one-stop comparison shopping for cell phones, wireless service plans and wireless accessories. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Simplexity, Wirefly is an authorized dealer for every major cellular carrier, including Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint. Wirefly also offers discounts and services not available in retail wireless stores, including real-time online order status and tracking, and the guaranteed lowest price – online or anywhere else -- on cell phone devices from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, LG, BlackBerry and many other cell phone handset manufacturers. Wirefly.com has been named Best of the Web by Forbes magazine as the “best all-around number portability portal” and “Best in Overall Customer Experience” by Keynote Performance Systems. For more information on Wirefly, its wireless products and its services, visit www.wirefly.com.

Launched in 2003, Wirefly is an online leader in one-stop comparison shopping for cell phones, wireless service plans and wireless accessories. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Simplexity. (NASDAQ: INPC), Wirefly is an authorized dealer for every major cellular carrier, including Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint. Wirefly also offers discounts and services not available in retail wireless stores, including real-time online order status and tracking, and the guaranteed lowest price – online or anywhere else -- on cell phone devices from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, LG, BlackBerry and many other cell phone handset manufacturers. Wirefly.com has been named Best of the Web by Forbes magazine as the “best all-around number portability portal” and “Best in Overall Customer Experience” by Keynote Performance Systems. For more information on Wirefly, its cell phones and its services, visit www.wirefly.com.