Bluetooth headset use plummets in the US, humanity celebrates a small victory
By Darren Murph 
posted Sep 6th 2009 3:34AM
posted Sep 6th 2009 3:34AM
[Image courtesy of eHow, via HotHardware]
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Either this "news article" is an ironical joke with americans themselves or this is the most ignorant post ever! A small victory? Over what? Driving safely?
Jesus, you people are crazy!
I must agree with your assessment wholeheartedly!
You mean, except for the fact that multiple studies have shown that using a handsfree device does not increase driver safety?
BTW, it's not the act of holding the phone that's the problem. It's the act of actively dividing one's attention between the tasks of driving and holding a coherent conversation with a remote party that is unable to actively assess your driving and road environment.
I agree with you, but people should not use them outside of their car. Leave the bluetooth behind in the car when you arrive at your destination.
I'm one of those people who integrate themselves to their Bluetooth headset. I wear it everyday when driving, eating and at home to receive and call others while cooking but not of course working!
I do have a lanyard for my Jawbone. It makes it so much easier to take it off when not in use.
I think you got it backwards. Less headsets together with more texting is pretty bad.
Victor knows what he's talking about. Going hands-free has no measurable effect on safety whatsoever -- the only way to safely talk on a phone while in your car is to NOT BE DRIVING! Using a bluetooth headset, as opposed to holding a phone up to your ear, *seems* like it should have some sort of safety benefit, but in fact your attention is still just as divided, and the only difference is to make you *feel* better about talking on the phone while driving. This, of course, leads you to relax and exercise less caution than you would feel you ought to if you were holding a phone to your ear, negating any negligible safety benefit that might otherwise have resulted from ditching the handset.
These are scientifically demonstrated facts. Multiple studies have reached the same conclusion: cell phones are dangerous when driving, no matter if you're using a handset or a headset, it's the same! Your head isn't where it should be!
"Either this "news article" is an ironical joke with americans themselves or this is the most ignorant post ever!"
WRONG! Unless perchance you are referring to your own post.
http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/79728
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Danger-of-Hands-Free-Bluetooth-Headsets&id=2152783
Saw a guy on the bus wearing a bluetooth, not talking on it. It's not jewelry! Needless to say I laughed directly at him.
@konshuss
Are you one of the biggest idiots to walk the Earth? What do you think people do with bluetooth headsets when not talking into them? Put them in their pockets? How the heck are they meant to answer a call? Oh i know the phones ringing, best pair the two devices, put it to my ear then click answer. Aww they've hung up by then.
i dissagree somewhat. for SOME people, using hands-free wouldnt make a difference in their safety because those people cannot multitask. I know I for one can hold a perfectly coherent conversation AND keep my attention to operating the vehicle at full safe capacity. What I know i cannot do is safely drive while holding a phone up to my ear, simply because it leaves me to drive with only one hand so it adds difficlulty. But when i get a call in my car as i'm driving, i dont whip out the bluetooth, i put on the speakerphone and leave the phone in my lap or something. but i can still drive in complete safety. Some people just cannot do that it seems.
like my buddy robert. if you talk to him even while sitting in the car, he doesnt know where he's going sometimes. its not that he's unsafe, he just doesnt pay attention to where he's driving to. he just drives. nevermind the fact that I just had to interrupt our conversation to tell him we should have turned right two lights ago. haha
BT sets have since evolved from meer earpieces to doing alot more than just picking up calls. Or is US so backward that few uses A2DP for wireless music enjoyment? I do that while commuting on a bus, train, or even on a plane, and on quite regular basis. When I drive, I pick up calls, but if the caller is getting to me, I simply "slam" the call. Why let them get to you when driving? Can't you guys do two things at once?
I have 2 BT headsets which I wear only when doing sports activities (climbing, skiing,sailing, biking, etc) not to answer business calls obviously but to increase safety and keep in touch with teammates and friends out of view.
For car use they are meaningless because most cars (probably all of them nowadays) come with integrated BT speakerphones and if yours does'nt have it a BT speakerphone is often cheaper and always more practical and versatile than any headset.
As with most thing in the world, from weapons to cell phones and their accessories, is not the object in itself that is stupid or evil, but the use that it's done with them.
While I certainly support the argument that the only safe way to use a mobile telephone in the car is to do so while the car is parked, I think the idea that a bluetooth headset is no less dangerous than holding the telephone is utter nonsense and these "scientific" investigations are flawed/wrong. Two hands on the steering wheel is always going to be safer than one. Your ability to react to an event will be reduced by not concentrating on the road fully but when you do react then you will do it better (whether that will be too late is open to debate).
Using a Bluetooth headset is just as dangerous as using a phone ?LOL
Yes and seat belts kill you and universal health care is stealth communism Americans will believe anything TV ads tell them !
This is an appalling article. Probably the worst I have ever seen on Engadget. Also whoever it was that tried to claim that driving with the handset held next to their head is the same as using a BT headset should go throw themselves off a bridge. It requires hardly any common sense at all to realise that is completely false - the articles you quoted are not evidence of anything. Just using common sense would tell you that using a BT headset whilst driving is no more distracting than talking to someone in the passenger seat. Even less so when you think there is less chance of you taking your eyes off the road to look or gesture at the person sitting next to you.
Show me REAL RESEARCH which has been published in a real peer-reviewed journal or from a well recognized institution that shows me some facts and also a good understanding of how they came up with these facts - not some magazine or newspaper article.
As someone else posted somewhere down below (spam_from_engadget) the UK government did studies on this kinda thing and found that using a hands-free kit was not as much of an impairment as having one drink (which is approximately the drink drive limit for most people) and driving. Using a handset next to your head was worse than the drink-drive limit by some significant margin.
We mostly drive manual transmission here though so I agree that has to be taken in to account as well.
@ryohazuki & darkmax - "Can't you guys do two things at once?"
No - and neither can you. What's especially amusing about your comments is the fact that you both assert that *you* can multi-task well, even if there are other people that cannot. The reason this is funny is that recent studies have shown that, not only do people *not* multitask well, but those who think they can are often especially bad at it. You can hear more about it here:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200908282
I'm providing a link to an MP3 stream so that the two of you can listen to it while you work, drive, watch television, whatever. Should be no problem for you, right?
thats what i was thinking, does engadget not realize that you can't talk on your phone in europe without some sort of headset or bluetooth? and that the US is one of the only stupid countries that doesn't require this rule (even though i do it myself, if it was illegal, it would probably drive me to using my bluetooth more)
@ Neil: Studies have shown that talking to someone on the phone is more distracting than someone in the car because you concentrate more on the conversation. Just because common sense says something doesn't mean it is correct.
It's about BT headsets, not handsfree carkits, is that so hard to get? Just because you could use a BT headset in a car doesn't mean dismissing a headset dismisses carkits.
And @konshuss, you laugh at people but you use public transport? Well I laugh at you for the sadness of a bus passenger thinking he's more 'cool' than the next joe, come on now.
I totally agree with substance90. It does increases driving safety. Those clowns who claims it doesnt, obviously never used it before. Ever tried holding a phone, looking at traffic while steering and shifting a gear, are you guys nuts? Either that or we have bunch of 15 year olds making comments they shouldnt make.
That said, I myself dont use a bluetooth headset, I prefer a wired one, but thats a given since I'm using an iphone and the bluetooth support on the pre-3G S phones sucks.
I am astounded and disgusted by the sheer arrogance of some of you people! Get it through your thick skulls: DRIVING WHILE DISTRACTED IS STATISTICALLY MORE RISKY THAN DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED! That includes driving distracted by your #@$*-ing phone conversation! I don't care if you think you're invincible -- we, the sane people of the world, know that isn't the case! And WE are the ones who inevitably pay for your moronic actions!
Throw your own deluded selves off a bridge, and spare us your lunacy-driven homicide!
@Gad Get:
Besides the fact that had nothing to do with my point, on what planet are you on if you think that drink or drug driving is less dangerous (I assume this is what you define as 'impaired') than BT headset or hands-free use ('distracted'). Show me these "STATISTICS". I am a reasonable person. If you show me real proof I will accept it and as I said, proof requires a good source and good testing techniques. Tests that other people can replicate using sample sizes ranging from the same size as the original all the way to infinity and produce reliably similar results from.
Hold it, what do you mean by "you people"?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6090342-7.html
That's the third link I've had to go fetch using the power of Google. I can find more, if you insist.
http://bicycleuniverse.info/cars/cellphones.html
I can just keep spitting these out all day for you, but something tells me it won't make a difference.
http://www.hfes.org/Web/Pubpages/celldrunk.pdf
You just tell me when you've got the message.
And just a little video to pound it in to your brain a bit more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKbVWkVVU-k
http://www.switched.com/2008/03/07/using-cell-phone-while-driving-akin-to-driving-drunk-say-resear/
Perhaps (I'm just guessing here) the percentage has decreased because TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE OWN HEADSETS but THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE USE THEM REGULARLY.
They've gotten way cheaper and are regularly included as bundles with new cell phone purchases.
Percentage isn't the only part of this statistic. Plus, they only checked 625 people and they report that instead of headsets, people are using pre-installed handsfree systems or bluetooth speakerphones in their cars. Just because they're not using the headset as regularly doesn't mean they're going back to holding it in their hand while driving!!
Well...it doesn't necessarily mean bluetooth headset use has plummeted since the study doesn't report total percent of people owning bluetooth headsets- only the percent of OWNERS and how they use their headsets. It's entirely possible under this study data that there are the same number or even more individuals using BT headsets regularly, it's just that the total number of BT owners increased drastically, with many infrequent users now. So it could be even more probable today to see people talking to ghosts.
I have a Jawbone. It works ok, except it constantly falls out. I have reverted to using a wired headset when I drive and talk. BTW, I agree, it does divide your attention to drive and talk, period.
A few rules:
1. Turn your ringer off EVERYWHERE except at home.
2. If you must wear a bluetooth and look like a Borg or a dorky typical Eurotrash disco-lover, than only wear it while you use it.
3. You are allowed to ignore phone calls. A little politeness wouldn't hurt, would it?
4. Did I mention turning your ringer off. You should never have to be told to turn your ringer off. Turn your ringer off.
Well, one can also make the point that the driver simply talking to a passenger in the car while driving has the same distraction effect as speaking on a cell phone directly or via bluetooth; so, should talking in a car be subject to a fine as well?
IT IS NOT ABOUT USE IN CARS
Look at this sentence: "we've yet to not be freaked out when walking up to someone who's apparently speaking to the ghost we can't see", does that sound he's talking about using it in cars?
The statements made about headsets do NOT mean he's against carkits, how dumb can you people get? Sigh, you hear me? SIGH.
Okay, here's a study for the BT-haters:
Driving while distracted by a phone conversation reduces safety.
Driving with one hand on the steering wheel is dangerous.
Doing BOTH at the same time is more dangerous than either one on its own!
How hard is that to understand?
@ Lumberjack Commando
I guess you missed my earlier links, so I shall repeat one of them for your benefit.
http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/79728
Researchers who have done actual studies on the matter probably know better than you do, despite your clearly extensive knowledge on the matter. How hard is that to understand?
Gad that link is about reaction time... it compares reaction time while talking hands free and while not, it is not a study of the obvious problems incurred with one handed driving.
Try driving with one hand into, around and out of a roundabout with several gear changes, it's not possible.
In CA it's the law that people must use a hands-free device yet daily I see drivers yapping with their phones to their ears. I really don't get why people don't use:
1. BT headsets
2. Wired headseats
3. BT devices (parrot for instance)
4. Car-based BT
The worst is when I see someone in a car that definitely has BT and the owner is still holding a phone to his ear.
There is another reason why BT headset use in the EU will be greater than in the US and its the reason why I think you'll find most European drivers find using a BT headset safer than using their handset whilst at the wheel. In Europe (the UK especially) most cars on the road have manual transmission meaning you have to have both hands more readily available than when driving an automatic which (correct me if I'm wrong) is prevalent in most vehicles in the US..
Alright, fair enough. You can't drive a manual with one hand, so if you're driving a manual you better not be talking on a handset. But that doesn't change the fact that bluetooth headsets are dangerous to be using while driving. And as shown by the multitude of links I've provided, to various studies from various universities all reaching the same conclusion, they can in some cases be even more dangerous.
So, again, the only safe way to talk on the phone in your car is to pull over and park somewhere. I don't care if you use a bluetooth headset, or a speakerphone setup, or just pull out a handset... fact is you had better not be driving when you do it. PLEASE!!!
@Sam: you have to be kidding, right? Bluetooth earpieces have a specific application, such as if you need to use your hands for something else and CAN'T use the phone. What are you, a baby who needs to be permanently tethered to your phone like a pacifier? I can guarantee 90% of the time people are wearing one so they can look cool, and clearly seeing as you're one of those people vehemently defending it, I will continue to laugh at you as you sit, hands free and clear, no calls coming in for many hours... but still sporting a ridiculous flashing blue light strapped to your head. Diff'rent strokes, apparently.
I have a solution... it's something that's been done before and it worked quite well in the past...
Hang up the phone and drive.
One task, concentrate on it, pay attention to all the cars around you. Actively think about what they are/aren't going to do. Think of what your next move will be.
NOTHING in the world is so important it can't wait until you get to where you are going. I don't care what her name is.
I have a headset for when I need to talk when I'm driving occasionally. I think I've only used it three or four times. I feel so ridiculous wearing it.
Put VR goggles on 'em and we could maybe talk.
Actually, lose the "maybe".
I use a blue tooth headset, phone rings i put it in my ear and push the button, when i have finished i take it off and lay it back on my dashboard.
To summarize this article: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmOqjfn-20k&feature=channel_page
LOL! Good stuff! He's saying what we're all thinking!
I've had entire conversations with people who, as it turned out, were on the phone. Were they ignoring me or did they just think that I was using a headset too?
The only truism about bluetooth headsets is that the user is the only person on the whole planet that thinks they are important enough to wear one. Everyone else knows that the user looks like a complete idiot.
Who cares what other people think? I spend copious hours on conference calls where holding a telephone to my head is uncomfortable, plus makes typing or other actions difficult. A headset makes perfect sense in almost all situations when placing/receiving a telephone call - what it looks like to other people is completely immaterial.
riiiiiiight....I cant believe people are still saying this....Bluetooth has been out for a while now....I understood back in'05 and '06 when it was still kinda new but sheeeeeeeeeesh its been out for a while now.....its convenient and no one thinks they are the only one important enough to have one....hell you can get a BT headset for like $12 brand new now....like the other guy said it makes it SO much easier to do things like email/text while on the phone...something that plenty of business people NEED to do when on the phone with a client for example
Since when has fashion trumped convenience for the kind of people who read Engadget? Was there something I missed or has this turned into something other than a tech blog?
I think that if a person finds a bluetooth headset useful enough to use then all the power to them, and screw the people who make ignorant generalized comments like 'that the user is the only person on the whole planet that thinks they are important enough to wear one'!
I agree headsets are great when you need to type or write something down etc. They've been out long enough that really people don't care what they look like anymore. However....what is obnoxious are those guys/girls at the club that wear them. Seriously you have a club full of people and music playing you're not gonna be able to hear them well enough nor will they you. Usually the same idiots that think they're cool cause they wear sunglasses in a dark club. lol
@Kelmon - so it's almost as if... you have a USE for it. This whole "when did fashion become more important than application" argument is flawed - people wearing a bluetooth headset hardly on the phone are telling the world they want to be looked as 'techy' and 'intelligent'. They in fact cross over the 'application' side and wear it as a fashion accessory - and it looks stupid.
This article must be ironical :-P ..
Anyway - over on this side of the Atlantic, where BT-headset usage has gone up, it's forbidden to make a phonecall whilst driving unless you're using a handsfree kit. Fines for calling whilst driving without handsfree-kit are about $ 250,- ... so a BT-headset is a small investment ;-)
I HATE bluetooth headsets, and I HATE looking like another "plugged in" drone. But, I don't think the usage numbers dropped, I think the ownership numbers grew. This study isn't taking into account the droves of NEW bluetooth owners in many states that had to buy one to be legal while in the car. I am willing to bet that many of those new unwilling adopters purchased them, don't likem, aren't good at using or charging them and just forgo answering the phone (or ignore the law) altogether in their cars.
A nice little addition to this article, only a very little off-topic. It's not so much about calling whilst driving, but about texting whilst driving. This video was made developed by a department of the British police. It's to be shown at schools around the U.K.
Some idiots on the web have marked this footage as 'inappropriate', so the target-group won't be reached - anyways.. it's ... visual.. and about texting whilst driving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I54mlK0kVw&hd=1
uhh...http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/16/wales-produces-exceptionally-graphic-educational-film-about-the/
I would like to know what those european numbers would look like if the survey ignored in car only users, i would imagine that the numbers would be WAY less then.
Bluetooth in the car: Good.
Bluetooth anywhere else: You look like a goddamn tool.
Agreed, there are quite a few pricks in high school who can't even get their driving license yet, but want bluetooth headsets.
What phone conversation is so important that it can't wait until you are there?
I only wear a Bluetooth headset in the car. Corded headsets get tangled... but I love being handsfree. And it's the law.
Otherwise, I don't really talk on a cell phone in public... or in earshot of someone else.
If you talk face to face with someone, most of your message is transmitted with non-verbal communication. However, when you talk on a cell phone, it feels like you have to shout to get your message across. I just simply don't do it.
if you have to shout to get your message across over your cell....then you need a new cell phone...
First of all... I said it *feels* like you have to shout... I never said I *have* to shout on my cell phone. My phone is fine.
My point is... I don't like talking on a cell phone in public. Public is usually noisy, so you have to talk louder than if you were in your home alone. Or... if it's quiet, then everyone else can hear you. It's just a situation I don't like to be in. Which is precisely why I said: "I don't really talk on a cell phone in public... or in earshot of someone else."
Please don't reply back. I've made 2 personal statements so far, and I don't need you to dispute them.
My Nokia N70 came with some very useful WIRED hands-free earbuds with mic. Likewise with my iPhone. Thankfully they spared me looking like BT earset-wearing douche-bag.
So now you only look like a douche-bag ?
No FuzzyCat. That's just you in the mirror.
Well at least, now, we won't be in danger of being taken over by the Cybermen.
I originally got a free BT with my phone years ago, but never used it because I knew I'd look like an idiot. So now I use it for the PS3.
I do like Bluetooth headsets - they are aesthetically, the best on the market and they are functionally adept...
However, there is a time and place for them...
"it takes awhile for these so-called "trends" to float across the pond."
This is true. Before the Americans realize that "trendy" < "safety" it'll take ages. But you'll get there, I believe in you!
Performance?
I think alot of the drop in use could be to do with the fact that most Bluetooth headsets mic performance is so bad. People either sound like that are inside a hairdryer or too quiet.
We have Bluetooth haters in the UK, they tend to be old or poor people. Its very acceptable in the UK to wear a Bluetooth headset. My GF wears heres everywhere, as she is a typical girl and talks too much on the phone :) But she doesnt need to carry her phone with her, it just sits on the table and she forgets she has the headset on.
americans think weird thoughts....
This article is pretty ignorant. It's not a small victory that the usage is down. As it's been mentioned, there are states that make it illegal to drive without a hands-free device whether it be a bluetooth or wired headset. I use my headset all the time except when I'm at home. Hell even when I'm at home I use it sometimes. I'll have my phone on the charger in my bedroom and I'll be in the living room, and when I get a call I may not want to have to go to the room to get my phone. I might not even hear it ring. I'll have my headset on, so I hear it ring and can answer it from the other room. When I'm driving it is a LOT better to have a headset. I have a dash-mounted phone holder that I use when I drive. I use my phone for a gps and the mount makes it just like any other car gps. When I get a call I don't have to divert attention to the phone trying to find it (or get it out of my pocket) to find out who is calling and to answer the phone. I just push the button on my headset and put both hands back on the wheel.
Whoever says that driving without holding a phone isn't any safer than driving WHILE holding the phone apparently has never been on the road behind the people holding phones to their ear while driving. On my way to work the other day I passed a person doing 20 miles an hour under the limit in the fast lane of the freeway, and she was on the phone. I had someone cut me off as well as two other drivers, he was totally oblivious to what was going on around him, and he was on the phone with it up against his ear. If you're not using a headset and you're holding the phone to your head, that's one less hand on the steering wheel. If you're not using your hand to hold the phone against your ear (ie using your shoulder with your head tilted against it) then you obviously can't have a good view of everything around you. You're also concentrating more on holding your phone and then when you drop it, most people will try to pick it up while driving which causes more driving hazards.
I also use my headset while I'm at work. I'll have my phone plugged in at my desk and since I use a phone headset for my job (it support) I can answer my cell phone and it looks like i'm on my work phone. I'm not really supposed to take personal calls during work, and someone will say something if I even look like I'm using my cell. With my BT headset no one can tell a thing.
When I go out and I'm in public with my headset on, I actually have my phone out of my holder 90% of the time and make it quite apparent to others that I'm actually on the phone. I also don't get into a conversation with someone and answer the phone while talking to them without saying something like "Hand on a second, I have to take this call", or something to that affect. I also don't walk up to someone while I'm on the phone and look right at them as though I'm talking to them. That's just plain rude.
Anecdotal evidence is hardly worth anything. I see people driving slowly and cutting me off all the time, and when I actually get a look - which is rare, by the way - I can't recall ever seeing anyone on the phone. Not to mention, I've been driving a manual for over eight years now and my right hand spends a large portion of its time on the stick - I would contend that holding a phone up to your head is no more awkward (I mean, we've been doing it for years and years, it doesn't really take much effort for it to come naturally to us).
As mentioned in previous posts, the thing that really makes a difference is concentration. When you study psychology then generally tell you that multitasking is inherently fake, it's only in constantly switching our attention between one thing and another that creates that illusion. It may not seem like it but our concentration is definitely diverted when we're having a conversation.
@Nick
"Anecdotal evidence is hardly worth anything. I see people driving slowly and cutting me off all the time, and when I actually get a look - which is rare, by the way - I can't recall ever seeing anyone on the phone."
Obviously you didn't read my post well enough. I didn't say that everyone who cuts me off, or drives poorly does so because they are one the phone. I said that in the recent instances where that happened to me, they were on the phone.
"Not to mention, I've been driving a manual for over eight years now and my right hand spends a large portion of its time on the stick - I would contend that holding a phone up to your head is no more awkward (I mean, we've been doing it for years and years, it doesn't really take much effort for it to come naturally to us)."
Wow....I drove a standard for around 12 years until i hurt my left foot and could no longer drive a standard, and once I get on the freeway and would hit 5th gear I took my hand off the shifter. I guess my reaction time was always fast enough that if I ever needed to quickly downshift or go into neutral, I could without needing my hand constantly on the shifter.
"As mentioned in previous posts, the thing that really makes a difference is concentration. When you study psychology then generally tell you that multitasking is inherently fake, it's only in constantly switching our attention between one thing and another that creates that illusion. It may not seem like it but our concentration is definitely diverted when we're having a conversation."
So how long HAVE you been studying psychology?? Because I've got about 5 years of psychology studies under my belt and multitasking is NOT "inherently fake". It's said that for most people who multitask a lot, they're just bad at it. Mainly because they can't concentrate specifically on one task and all tasks suffer for it. I can talk on the phone and drive at the same time with no problems. I'm constantly aware of my surroundings while driving if I'm on the phone or not. It has to do with how your brain divides the thought processes. If someone can't multitask and they choose to talk on the phone while driving, one of the two tasks will suffer. Either their driving will go to crap (ie not being aware they are slowing down or speeding, unaware of other drivers around them, etc), or their conversation will suffer. I'll be on the phone with someone and if I start to hit bad traffic or start to encounter a lot of bad drivers, I know I will need to divert more attention to driving than is possible while also on the phone. So I get off the phone. Same goes for talking to someone sitting right next to you in a car. If I'm trying to concentrate on driving to avoid hazards, I will stop talkig to the other person. If you can't concentrate on driving AND carry on a conversation on the phone or otherwise, then shut up and drive. lol
I took enough classes in college to know none of my professors would agree with anything you said... maybe they're bad? I don't know, maybe that's why they're not practicing.
The first part was just referring to the fact that you could take 100 experiences from 100 different people and get different answers. In my opinion the sample size from one or a handful of people just isn't enough to come to any conclusions.
If you want my opinion, people who are going to be irresponsible are going to be irresponsible. Just like the person who tries to pick up their phone after they drop it. Just like the person who tries to calculate the square root of 829 in their head while driving.
I think people are miss reading the small victory part of the article and overreacting. They're talking abut the dumbasses that walk around and wear them everywhere. If engadget had used a picture of some one not driving I think they would have gotten past this whole confusion and argument people are having right now.
I wish I could vote you up more than once
I don't get how a person using a headset is that much more annoying than one who just holds a phone to his ear. If they shout in proximity of other people when talking they are about equally (not) annoying to me.
If you're in public, especially in a group of 'real' people with which you interact, it would be polite to just step aside or at least turn away when taking a phone call. Either if you're talking with a headset OR with a phone. Some people just can't manage to do that (maybe they don't realize they are being impolite), but that's their fault, not the headsets'.
It's definitely the person's fault, but what I think they find freaky (and I) is, say, when you're walking down a street and you can't see the headset so you have no idea who they're talking to. Or you're an employee in some store and you're waiting on them, and you think they're actually talking to you...
In the UK you now have to use BTH while driving and this is probably true in other countries too.
In some states, such as California, you have to.
It's probably because we're the most populous state, now that I think about it.
A lot of people still break the rule, though >.
I wasn't interested in Bluetooth headsets til I discovered the Sony Ericsson hb is800, now THAT's a bt headset I don't mind wearing!
To see what he means:
http://dailymobile.se/2009/08/10/sony-ericsson-hbh-is800-review-and-photo-gallery/sony-ericsson-hbh-is800-16/
God, this is the second article I've read on the net in 2 day's that totally arrogant, pathetic, selfish. It's not funny people being killed by others using a phone, and again this thread is full of totally ignorant twats who think they all know better, yet ask ANY policeman if they take a dim view of people using a phone without a headset as opposed to using it with one and well I'm sure they'll give you an answer going against this article.
As for the stupid argument of 'your attentions still split' then you must also say talking to a passenger in your car is just the same and just as deadly!! I just hope to God I never come across any of you on the road.
Hahahah 'ask any policeman', haha, are you 10yo?
What? You think asking a policeman, someone whose job it is to attend and determine cause of accidents is going to tell you its SAFER to NOT use a headset when driving? Are you really that ignorant and thick? Obviously you are, and you also sound like a 10yr old much more then I do, in fact I bet your in 'high school' and think you know everything right? Well when your using your phone with no headset and crash forcing your passengers brains to scrape in there skulls or the ribs or pierce there internal organs killing them you may think differently but I doubt it as you sound like an arrogant American. Bit like the people behind the article.
Boy you suck at guessing, and have a naïve amount of trust in the incredible sophistication and intellect of cops, do you also think all blacks are criminals and should be put in jail? Ask any cop in LA if you doubt it, how about that all bad things that ever happened in history of mankind are caused by weed? That's another official message cops will gladly repeat.
Cops either repeat what they are told to say or if they speak privately will say any dumb thing a person who doesn't stand out in brightness will say.
That you think cops are so wise and knowledgeable and what not only highlights your 10yo mind, well enjoy it while it last I guess.
Just don't quote what cops say as having any substance thanks.
And again, headsets and carkits are 2 separate things, and a carkit is not more problematic than a headset, and it's the headset that is talked about in the article not about using headsets in car, nor about carkits, in fact the only link to a car is the picture, and I guess you just look at pictures at your age eh., why bother reading.
Look at this sentence: "we've yet to not be freaked out when walking up to someone who's apparently speaking to the ghost we can't see", does that sound he's talking about using it in cars to you? Well does it?
"Cops either repeat what they are told to say or if they speak privately will say any dumb thing a person who doesn't stand out in brightness will say.
That you think cops are so wise and knowledgeable and what not only highlights your 10yo mind, well enjoy it while it last I guess.
Just don't quote what cops say as having any substance thanks."
What the fuck are you on about??? Well I guess your one of these Americans who loves a good conspiracy eh? And just where the hell did I mention ANYTHING about 'car kits' were you even reading my post? I guess not, you really don't make any sense at all other then you appear to be an utter thick idiot. And I wasn't talking about the (as you describe them) robotic American cop that lacks any mind of their own and is in fact an extension of a communist repression, I was actually referring to the British Policeman who must be really unique as they posses a min and ability to think for themselves? Although I'm more then sure if an American cop offered to have a conversation with you, you would wet yourself and run away and hide at the shock of it all and think you will be beamed up by aliens that same night!
Basically, if you have such a cavalier attitude that you actually support people who use phones with one had of the wheel and don't use bluetooth headsets when driving then I guess you'll be in a mortuary very soon and good riddance to you, you'll do the world a favour. I just hope you don't injure or kill an innocent party at the same time.
God you REALLY are stupid. Just don't reply as I shake in the awe of your stupidity.
I read the research that was done before the UK laws were introduced. They calibrated everything against the level of driving impairment caused by alcohol, since there is already a well-defined legal limit for alcohol while driving and it seems like a good idea to set other limits such that they will have the same effect.
The conclusion was that using a hands-free phone (which probably means a phone in a holder on the dashboard, rather than a headset) was about equal to the legal alcohol limit. Using a hand-held phone is equivalent to being at about 1.6 times the alcohol limit. On that basis they decided to allow hands-free phone use but prohibit hand-held phones.
One difference in the U.S. is that very few cars have gears. So it's less likely that you will see someone with phone in hand trying to change gear with the other hand and steer with their knees. Or drive along in 2nd until they finish the call.
Would be more logical to raise the allowed alcohol limit because it seems to be tweaked a bit too sensitive if making a call is equal to being that much over the limit.
Which should give you an indication on how to view the people that came up with these stories and what they use them as excuses for.
Did you know that in california almost 50% of the drivers that get in accident wear sunglasses and shoes? We better outlaw those.
Seriously? Many of you seem to be very preoccupied with what other people are doing that has very little effect on your world. Who cares if half the world has a BT headset plugged into their ear and they walk around happily chatting all day long? Sure, once in a great while you may think someone is speaking to you when they are not and it can be mildly embarrassing for a moment if you respond. This has happened to me and I assure you it didn't ruin my day. I believe I got on with my life inside of 10 seconds. Incidentally, this has also happened when the other person was wearing dark sunglasses and I thought they were looking at me when they were not. Has anyone seen those tools walking around in dark sunglasses? What are they thinking? They should only wear those in the car!
Aside from the safety concerns (two hands operating the vehicle vs. one? case closed) this seems dangerously close to a fashion debate. I wonder what you guys think of my purple shirt, or the questionable haircut I got last week.
I think the % dropped because more people bought a bluetooth handset, not because the same people aren't using it.
I really don't understand this hype about cell phones and driving being more dangerous than...fill in the blank.
Is talking more dangerous than someone fiddling with their satellite radio channels, or eating a Big Mac, or Smoking in your car, or sucking down a Star Bucks, or chatting with someone in the seat next to you or in the back seat?
I didn't say texting, which of course is nuts while driving, or trying to dial a phone.
I wonder how many accidents happen and the officer asks, Sir, were you chatting with the people riding in the car with you? Is that a Star Bucks cup I see? So you were drinking coffee with one hand and only driving with one hand?
I think this story is bogus. Bluetooth usage is down eh? Sir, do you use your Bluetooth head seat every day? No? Usage is down. I don't use my personal Bluetooth every day, but my usage is about the same, because I'm not in a situation where "I need" to use it every day.
Thank you! You beat me to it, but really what is the difference between using a BT speakerphone in a car and having someone right there in the seat next to you? I'm talking to both, looking at the road for both, with both hands on the wheel both times.
I've only ever used BT headsets for my PS3, with my current one being the official PS3 headset. I could only imagine how ridiculous I'd look walking outside with that on my ear. I like my handset.
I am one of the 26% of bluetooth users that use it every day. I realize that when I'm on my bluetooth headset i look like I'm talking to no one but people figure it out after a minute and i know there is no cool looking bluetooth headset but I've always been a function over form type of guy. I love not having to hold the phone up to my ear (got a touch pro gets heavy after a while). When i go shopping and my girl tells me what we need i don't have to hold the phone with my neck while grabbing for grocery's i use one had to push the cart and another to grab items its great. The same goes for cooking or cleaning or washing the car or anything else you need two hands for it makes life so much easier. For you lady's out there with a bluetooth headset you never have to reach in your purse for you phone again.
I saw a lady with two kids and a baby trying to control the two kids while holding the baby and talking on the phone. I felt so bad i almost bought her a bluetooth headset myself (if i had extra money i would have) Yes wired headsets work but i hate cables the less cables the better and you know in the story i just told the baby would be grabbing at the wired cable. The baby couldn't get at the bluetooth headset in the opposite ear. Then there is the car which is obvious why you need a hands free when driving. I personally have a stereo bluetooth I love listing to music then making a call with the same headset and its works well. Then there is voice command i make a call without even touching my phone. I think everyone should have a hands free head set weather wired or wireless. But I think bluetooth is the way to go
Leave it in the car? Are you nuts? I use mine outside the car 100% of the time.
In my job, I sometimes will be on the phone with a service tech and I need to continue to do what I am doing, while talking to them.
I don't have time to put what I am doing on hold, just to carry on a conversation. Also, there are times when I am talking to the hotline and
need to adjust something on the machine I am working on, and putting the phone down isn't an option.