Signature Q4 2008

Experience More@bluetooth.com/signature By John Moore | Q4 ’08 Bluetooth Technology For more on hands-free driving legislation, visit Bluetooth.com. MOTION Handy Technology Hands-free laws that ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving are making a global trip. As a result, more drivers are taking Bluetooth enabled headsets along for the ride. In the United States, New York became the ﬁrst state to impose hands-free driving legislation in 2001; ﬁve more states have since followed suit. Another 14 states and a host of municipalities have enacted partial bans – covering drivers who are minors, for example. Outside the U.S., 46 countries have imposed hands-free laws, according to cellular-news.com. Denmark and the British Crown dependency of Jersey were pioneers of hands-free driving, with bans in place since 1998. Drivers caught with phones in hand are ﬁned or arrested. In California, for example, motorists convicted of violating the ban are ﬁned US$20 for the ﬁrst offense and US$50 for subsequent convictions. Other countries, such as India and the Netherlands, have stricter rules, with violations leading to ﬁnes up to US$2,000 or jail time. The good news: Bluetooth enabled car kits and headsets provide ways to keep talking and avoid ﬁnes. Laws are on the rise against the use of hand-held cell phones Parrot Inc. reports that sales of its car kits in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut area increased 65 percent in 2007 compared while driving. As a result, so are sales of Bluetooth enabled headsets with 2006 sales. Carl Derry, enterprise demand generation program and car kits – the perfect accessories in a new legal climate. manager for the headset brand Jabra, says he has seen sales of Jabra’s line spike two weeks before and two weeks after a ban goes into effect. Data received by the Bluetooth SIG indicates such an upswing in California and Washington as a result of legislation enacted this summer. In fact, the rising number of hands-free laws means that Bluetooth technology makes proactive sense. “It’s getting difﬁcult for drivers to know where the laws are in effect,” says Mike Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “The simplest way to comply is to go wireless with Bluetooth technology so drivers can keep their hands on the wheel, their eyes on the road and avoid getting a ticket.” John Moore has covered information technology since 1986, and his work has appeared in numerous print and online publications. Bluetooth Special Interest Group | 21 http://www.bluetooth.com/signature http://www.Bluetooth.com http://www.cellular-news.com

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