Tri-State Drivers Ignore Ban Against Driving With Handheld Cell
Connecticut, New York and New Jersey all prohibit drivers from yakking on a cell without a hands-free device. A new study of 902 tri-state drivers commissioned by Parrot, a Texas-based manufacturer of said technology, reveals that 72 percent of these mobile mobile users now own a hands-free device. Now the bad news: only 14 percent of them use the equipment religiously (regardless of denomination). Jersey drivers are the worst offenders; 43 percent of their in-car calls are held via the handset. "The challenge of hands-free compliance is not only perception but also reality,” says the irony-loving Ed Valdez, president and COO of Parrot. “The reality is that the majority of tri-state drivers are still using their hand-held cell phones because they don't perceive that the law applies to them.” Reflecting the “it’s the other guy who’s driving sucks” gestalt, the debate over the statistical danger of cell phone distracted drivers (as opposed to tiredness, children, food, etc.) continues. Meanwhile, anecdotal evidence of cell-related tragedies– such as this morning’s report in the Houston Chronicle— sustains the momentum for outright bans against drivers using hand-held cells.
Glenn is a baby-boomer, born in 1954. Along with his wife, he makes his home in Connecticut. Employed in the public sector as an Information Tedchnology Specialist, Glenn has long been a car fan. Past rides have included heavy iron such as a 1967 GTO, to a V8 T-Bird. In between those high-horsepower cars, he's owned a pair of BMW 320i's. Now, with a daily commute of 40 miles, his concession to MPG dictates the ownership of a 2006 Honda Civic coupe which, while fun to drive, is a modest car for a pistonhead. As an avid reader, Glenn enjoys TTAC, along with many other auto-realated sites, and the occasional good book. As an avid electronic junkie, Glenn holds an Advanced Class amateur ("ham") radio license, and is into many things electronic. From a satellite radio and portable GPS unit in the cars, to a modest home theater system and radio-intercom in his home, if it's run by the movement of electrons, he's interested. :-)
More by Glenn Swanson
Comments
Join the conversation
"The natural effort of every individual to better his own condition is so powerful a principle, that it alone, and without any assistance, not only capable of carrying on the society to wealth and prosperity, but of surmounting a hundred impertinent obstructions with which the folly of human laws too often incumbers its operations" --Adam Smith in "Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations"
Hi Glenn, It does not matter much, but Parrot ain't from Texas, they are from FRANCE. Curious to read if there are similar results with Citroen and Renault drivers around Nice.