Hands Free In The Car: It's The Law

I must have spent close to $200 on hands-free devices for use with my cell phones over the last couple of years and for one reason or another after a week or two I would stop using them while driving, even though it was against the law and not very safe. However when I shelled out $25 Thursday for a hands-free earbud I did so with the knowledge that this time I would use it on a regular basis. That’s because as of tomorrow things will change for those who chat on hand-held cell phones while driving in New Jersey.

When the current law went into effect in 2004 police could only issue you a ticket if they were stopping you for another reason and to be honest it wasn’t much of a deterrent and not enforced all that much. However the game changes Saturday when a revised law gives police the authority to stop drivers for using their cell phone without another infraction and issue a summons which carries a $100 to $250 fine with no points. Also added to the new legislation is a ban on text-messaging on a cell phone while driving which will also be subject to a fine.

There are exceptions to the new law but they are few. Drivers can use a hand-held cell phone to report a drunken driver, road hazards and other illegal activity on the roads. Police and other emergency officials are also allowed to use hand-held cell phones for official use only but of course who is going to enforce that.

This is all part of the on-going effort to curb driver distractions which can and do lead to accidents. The goal is to have people not use their phones while driving at all or at least use a hand-free device which is legal for all drivers. Many people have purchased those portable Bluetooth devices that attach to your ear and they seem the best alternative although I just don’t like them so I’ll stick with the earbud for now. Once you get used to them they’re not bad although often the person on the other end says you don’t sound very clear. However that’s a small price to pay and better than getting a fine for at least $100.

It will be interesting to see if the new law becomes a deterrent to what’s become a major problem. Cell phone retailers tell me they have not seen a huge increase in sales this week for the hand-free devices and it all comes down to enforcement. If police stop drivers and write tickets than the public will respond just like when seat-belt laws first went into effect.