Bluetooth Car Kit News

Legislation put forward by Rep. Jim McClendon was talked down this week, and the Senator was told to go away and re write the bill.

His proposals would have seen a ban on 15, 16 and 17 years old from using hand-held and handsfree cell phones whilst driving, with this age group said to have the most accidents because of their inexperience.

We’ll be back with a much better bill,

said McClendon, chairman of the State Safety Coordinating Committee.

        

Sony have released a new in car audio syste, the Sony MEX BT5000, which includes Bluetooth conectivity.

What this means is that you can stream music from your compatible Bluetooth enabled MP3 player, and use it as a handsfree car kit.

Sony are well known for the SonyEricsson colaboration and cutting edge mobile phone technology, and are no strangers to music systems, so does this provide a good car based solution?

Whilst the price may put some off (Amazon are selling it for less than £240 plus installation), if you need a new car audio system, with Bluetooth, this is a system worth considering, given Sony’s experience in both music and mobile phone technology. Cheaper systems such as the Parrot Rhythm and Blue - In Car CD Stereo With Bluetooth retail at sub £200.

        

Chief Supt Kenny Scott, of Strathclyde Police, was stopped a week into the new tougher driving laws came into force, using a hand held mobile phone. He was driving a private car and was off duty, but was stopped by officers of his own force.

In line with the new penalties, he has been fined £60 and has had three points put on his driving licence.

We can confirm that a 50-year-old man was given a fixed penalty following an alleged road traffic offence on the M74 on Wednesday, 7 March.

said a police spokeswoman.

        

Need a free Bluetooth headset in light of the new increased UK driving penalties?

Channel 4 are giving 10 Jabra BT160 Bluetooth headsets away, in this competition, just enter by 9 April 2007.

And if you are not lucky, you can pick one up on Amazon, currently for less than £22.50.

        

Some interesting statistics from the Department of Transport report that 21% of drivers admit to breaking the law which prohibits drivers from talking on a hand held phone whilst driving.

Another survey by Direct Line, suggested that one million people were breaking the law at any one time. Drivers in Cardiff, Newcastle and Southampton are the worst offenders (or the most honest in admiting their crimes!)

The road safety minister, Dr Ladyman told GMTV this morning:

We have been working with the constabularies around the
country, we chose the timing of today with them, so that they are ready
to help us enforce it.

        

The RAC foundation has carrried out undercover research into ways that mobile phone retailers will try and sell phones and accessories.

Whilst reassuringly all mobile retailers advised their mystery shoppers that the law requires motorists to use a handsfree kit while driving, but just one in three explained that this is because using a hand-held phone can be distracting. One assistant went as far as recommending throwing the phone down if blue lights were spotted.

The sound advice from the RAC Foundation recommends that you

* Never use a hand-held phone whilst driving.

* Buy and fit a good hands-free system, but try not to make calls unless essential.

* Never compose or read texts or emails while driving.

* Recognise that driving requires a high level of concentration. Use the built in facilities of the phone to minimise distraction, such as voice mail for incoming calls and single number dialling of pre-programmed numbers.

* Keep calls short. Don’t chat and never argue.

* Do not take or make calls when road, traffic or weather conditions are particularly bad.

        

With the UK penalties for those caught using a hand held mobile whilst driving due to increase in less than a week signs are that the message is still not getting through to many drivers.
And although it is still to be seen if the police will step up thier enforcement measures, it would be likely to expect a greater emphasis from them immediately after the changes come into force.
If you need to use your mobile whilst driving, use it with a Bluetooth handsfree kit. If not then turn off your phone!

        

Maryland could be set to join Washington DC and New Jersey in banning handheld phones whilst driving. There is already a ban in place for drivers under 18 using a handheld phone, but plans, heard by a Senate committee last week, would make it a crime for all drivers talking on phones without using a handsfree accessory.

Another proposed ban, put forward by Democratic Sen. Norman Stone, would create a crime of “distracted driving,” which would include penalties for reading, writing or “performing personal grooming” whilst driving.

        

From 27 Februay 2007, if you are caught driving with a handheld mobile phone the penalty will includ 3 points on your licence as well as a doubling of the penalty fine to £60.

In an announcement on 22 January, Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander announced the changes stating that

while 92% of people agree with the law, 21% of drivers admit to breaking it.

This stacks up to nearly 74,000 penalty fines in 2004.