DOT Wants to Block Most Phone Apps In Moving Cars
Cortana+headset=safe, hands-free driving
It's all well and good to try to make unsafe drivers safer, but it's too bad that it takes Congress meddling in our daily lives to do it.
Cortana running on a Windows 10 Mobile phone, paired to a high-quality, noise-cancelling headset, already makes my driving completely hands-free and fully eyes-on-the-road. There are many good Bluetooth headsets, but my preference is the VXI Xpressway 2 because of its very good noise-cancelling ability (when the foam sock is placed on the boom mic).
All incoming texts are read to me, and I can dictate replies easily and quickly without touching the phone or taking my eyes off the road. Same with voice calls. The most intervention required is one quick press of the multifunction button on the side of ...
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Cortana running on a Windows 10 Mobile phone, paired to a high-quality, noise-cancelling headset, already makes my driving completely hands-free and fully eyes-on-the-road. There are many good Bluetooth headsets, but my preference is the VXI Xpressway 2 because of its very good noise-cancelling ability (when the foam sock is placed on the boom mic).
All incoming texts are read to me, and I can dictate replies easily and quickly without touching the phone or taking my eyes off the road. Same with voice calls. The most intervention required is one quick press of the multifunction button on the side of ...
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Unfortunately some people don't even bother pairing their phones to the car's bluetooth. I don't know where you live, but here in NY, the amount of distracted drivers I see on a daily basis is staggering.
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My car has Bluetooth, but the audio quality is so poor going both ways, it's effectively unusable. I know a lot of people who use their car's BT, but 90% of them are really terrible - an impediment to communication, not an aid. I know there are a few models that have good audio and good, noise-cancelling microphones built in, but only a very few models, and they're way out of my price range.
Plus, the VXI Xpressway 2 headset only costs $100, WAY cheaper than a new car ;-) And anyone who spends a few hundred dollars on a smartphone can afford another $100 for a high-quality, noise-canceling headset with boom mic. No need for a new car with BT, no need for a high-priced new car to get Apple or Google's car play apps built-in to the vehicl...
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Plus, the VXI Xpressway 2 headset only costs $100, WAY cheaper than a new car ;-) And anyone who spends a few hundred dollars on a smartphone can afford another $100 for a high-quality, noise-canceling headset with boom mic. No need for a new car with BT, no need for a high-priced new car to get Apple or Google's car play apps built-in to the vehicl...
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Never heard a complaint from my car's bluetooth and I drive a nissan rogue nothing fancy, but I understand what you're saying.
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It's not Congress, but the DOT. If they want to make a law against hands free driving, either leave it up to the state's, or go through the process and pass legislation and have it signed by the President. Not by a group of appointees, or civil servants making regulations.
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How about we keep it entirely out of the government's hands, and take it straight to a "supply and demand" or "market-based" approach, so to speak?
If a person wants to use their smartphone in their vehicle:
1) They agree to take a special driving course (both classroom instruction and in-vehicle training , similar to the training that law enforcement goes through at the academy). If completed successfully, they get a stamp on their driver's license showing they are qualified to operate a smartphone while operating a vehicle. The cost for the class is borne by any individual, or any company that wants its employees so trained. Let the IIHS (the insurance industry consortium that also tests crashworthiness) sponsor and administer the t...
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If a person wants to use their smartphone in their vehicle:
1) They agree to take a special driving course (both classroom instruction and in-vehicle training , similar to the training that law enforcement goes through at the academy). If completed successfully, they get a stamp on their driver's license showing they are qualified to operate a smartphone while operating a vehicle. The cost for the class is borne by any individual, or any company that wants its employees so trained. Let the IIHS (the insurance industry consortium that also tests crashworthiness) sponsor and administer the t...
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Meh, I don't like any of it. I get where you're coming from, but honestly its as asinine as the idea of a hate crime. I could easily make the argument that all crimes are hate crimes, and that some crimes are given unduly harsh or light sentencing based on what is an entirely emotional and subjective label. How about just holding people liable for their mistakes? I don't care if you are texting, watching porn, screaming at your kids in your back seat, sleeping, or just plain stupid. If you cause an accident you should be held accountable, regardless. This eliminates the need for any special classes and certifications or overly obtrusive and likely illegal recording devices. It also treats everyone the same for the same crime. How about THAT ...
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This forum is closed.
