Hey, you behind the wheel with the cell phone in your ear. Yeah, you. Put it down!
Any of this sound familiar? You are at a busy intersection and nearly get sideswiped by someone who sweeps by while busily chatting on the phone. Or there is a behemoth SUV camped out on your rear bumper with the driver one-handing a 3-ton machine while yakking. Or there's the car moving erratically through one of Massachusetts' multitude of lane-narrowings, and when you finally get by the moving roadblock, you see that the other driver has a phone pressed to his or her ear.
Intriguingly, this is one of society's few genuine unisex phenomena. It also defies race, age, and any other known demographic determination. Truly everyone does it. And it's dangerous.
A distracted driver rear-ended my car about a year ago, pushing me into the car ahead of me. When all was said and done, the accident led to thousands of dollars in repair costs, as well as a chronic twitch I experience every time I see someone in the rear mirror who is not focused on driving.
This is a classic case where technology has led to a problem, but the resulting problem isn't technical. It's a matter of habit and behavior. Some safety experts believe that distraction is the culprit and that hands-free phone equipment is not a complete solution. But it also stands to reason that, especially in adverse driving conditions, having two hands on the wheel is better than one (or sometimes none).
More important, hands-free usage is an easy fix.
To begin with, there's Bluetooth — a short-range wireless technology that, while sometimes annoying to configure, connects your cell phone to other devices. Almost all cell phones on the market these days have Bluetooth capability.
Many cars have Bluetooth equipped audio systems that provide built-in hands-free telephone capability in your vehicle. Easily accessible speed-dial lists are usually part of the package, and sometimes voice-activated controls. If your car doesn't have the built-in variety of Bluetooth, there are a wide range of Bluetooth headsets on the market.
At one end, there are devices such as Aliph's $130 Jawbone that includes noise reduction circuitry so you can be heard over the sound of wind rushing past your car window.
Skip the noise reduction, and you have a long list of choices in the $50 to $100 range. For those who don't like earpieces, there are devices that clip to your visor and work like a built-in hands-free system. There even are basic Bluetooth headsets on the market for as little as $20. For that matter, a headset with an old-fashioned cord may well have come with your phone, and, if not, can be purchased for about $10.
A few years ago, Bluetooth was exotic stuff available only to big spenders. But now, it's practically standard equipment on cell phones and an available option on cars in all price ranges. The point being: there is no good excuse for not having a hands-free cell phone when driving.
So, please, just get one. My nerves will appreciate it.
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Al Gordon is a Massachusetts-based writer who specializes in technology and consumer electronics. You can read more of his articles at www.algordon.com/techblog.html and e-mail him at eagle@algordon.com.
