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Bluetooth option for car phones
By Pia Heikkila
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Bluetooth technology is advancing into cars, as European governments impose tougher penalties for using mobile phones while driving. Firms like Nokia, Motorola and Elsa are about to launch in-car kits for mobile phones with the short radio frequency Bluetooth, which they say improves safety. The Bluetooth device is a box connected to the car radio, with a microphone nearby. The phone can stay in the driver's pocket or a bag. The technology is based on radio waves rather than wires and does not need cables or plugs. There are already Bluetooth headsets on the market costing about 100 euros. Car manufacturers are also responding to demands from safety watchdogs who say driving and holding a handset can cause crashes. Saab, Audi and Mercedes Benz are among those researching the possibility of installing Bluetooth technology as standard in their cars. Nick Hunn, managing director of UK Bluetooth specialist firm TDK said: "We have seen an enormous response from car manufacturers to use Bluetooth technology and could imagine car makers adopting the technology as standard. "This traditionally conservative industry is going to have to embrace new technologies in order to facilitate the demands of the modern world." But British motoring organisation the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) is sceptical. "Bluetooth is a new technology which is in its early stages and we haven't had clarity on whether you can make the hands-free set work to solve the problem," said a spokeswoman. "There is also a compatibility issue -- there is no guarantee it will work with different phones." It is also not certain that new Bluetooth technology will get round all the new safety legislation. Some safety experts warn that driving and talking on the phone, even with hands-free sets, simply do not mix.
But Luke D'Arcy, from wireless technology specialist CSR, says European governments need to be realistic. "There are safety benefits of having a phone in your car, in case of breakdown for instance. "So an outright ban would not be feasible. Nearly 70 percent of Europeans have a mobile phone. It would be impossible to try to ban phones inside cars. It would almost be like banning radios in cars." Meanwhile many European governments are pressing ahead with tougher legislation. In the UK motorists could soon face heavy fines and even jail sentences if they use their handsets while driving -- even in stationary traffic. Across Nordic countries, offenders are likely to be pulled over by the police and given an on-the-spot fine of about 100 euros. Safety watchdogs say steeper penalties are long overdue. Various independent studies have suggested that motorists using mobile phone handsets are about four times more likely to be involved in an accident. The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis found that the use of mobile phones by drivers could cause 2,600 deaths and 330,000 serious injuries in America every year. The report's author, Dr. Joshua Cohen, said: "While the risk to any individual driver or a passenger or pedestrian is very low, because so many people use cell phones now, the overall risk to society raises an important issue for policy makers." The RAC says 93 percent of UK motorists back the proposed ban on using hand-held mobile phones in cars, with 91 percent admitting it affects their driving. One option is a compulsory phone cradle for all cars featuring a microphone embedded into the dashboard and a wire leading to the phone. This is different from the current hands-free kits supplied by phone makers, which would also become illegal under the planned UK law. The cradle will cost about 300 euros and needs to be fitted by an engineer. "We expect this system to be widely used next year when the law is introduced," says the RAC.
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