Secure phone

Polish regulations forbid the driver to use the phone while driving, if this requires holding the handset or microphone in his hand. How to solve this problem?

According to the rules, you can only use a mobile phone in a car with a hands-free kit. But some cameras offer features that will help us meet the requirements and at the same time make such a set redundant.

Polish regulations prohibit a driver from using a telephone while driving if this requires holding a handset or a microphone (Article 45.2.1 of the Road Code). Thus, you can not only talk, but also send SMS or even use the phone in your hand (for example, read notes, view the calendar).

Of course, the legislator did not provide for all situations that may concern drivers. And he can also use a pocket computer, a non-stationary satellite navigation (GPS) receiver, and even a regular calendar ...

Mobile phones themselves are becoming more modern, and manufacturers are introducing features that help them to be used safely while driving.

These are both hands-free kits that allow you to talk without taking your hands off the steering wheel (but do not make it easier to dial a number), as well as headsets and functions “embedded” in the phone software.

Dial by voice

The voice dialing feature is the friendliest driver. Most modern mobile phones have it. After “teaching” the phone the necessary words, you can dial the number with a command pronounced towards the microphone.

Thanks to this, you can, for example, strike up a conversation using the big word "office", and the phone will automatically dial the number and connect you with the secretary at work.

To take full advantage of this feature, you first need to identify the right words, which are the key to having the right conversation. Similar-sounding words should be avoided because the phone software (other than street noise) may not properly recognize who you want to call (for example, similar-sounding names like Kwiatkowski and Laskowski, etc.).

Now that the connection is established, we need to somehow deal with the conversation in the car. Headsets are a cheap replacement for expensive hands-free kits, and they do a great job of freeing your hand from holding the hearing aid.

There are both cheap wired headphones (even for a few zlotys) and more expensive wireless ones that interact with the Bluetooth radio connector. In this case, the handset fits in your ear and the phone fits easily in your pocket. A call can be both received and made if the phone is equipped with a voice dialing function.

It is worth mentioning here that some phones are equipped with a loudspeaker. It is usually so strong that with the car windows closed, you can safely talk on the phone in a suitable holder (for example, universal, glued to the windshield, priced at a few zlotys) or placed on the seat next to it.

How about SMS?

The function of reading text messages has appeared in the latest models of phones. This technology has been known for a relatively long time, but until now it required quite a lot of computing power and memory, so it was first used by both fixed and mobile operators (for example, reading SMS by a machine in a fixed line). . However, miniaturization has done its job and this feature is slowly becoming more popular in the phones themselves.

An example of such a modern camera is, for example, the Nokia E50 and 5500 series models. Using the built-in software, the phone reads information read in the form of SMS in a female or male voice. Unfortunately, this can only be done in English for the time being, but it is probably only a matter of time before the appropriate software appears, thanks to which our phone will speak Polish.

Worth reading the manual

Most people use a mobile phone the same way they use a landline. And they (at least until recently) were unlikely to contain more advanced features. Modern mobile phones are very technologically advanced devices. When buying a camera, it is worth asking about its functionality, and having it in your hands - although look at the instructions, and it may turn out that we will find something interesting there that can, for example, alleviate stress-free (both in terms of security, and payment of a possible fine) using the phone in the car.