Cell phone in the car. Headsets and hands-free kits

Do you use a mobile phone while driving? For your safety, get a good speakerphone.

According to Polish traffic regulations, talking on a mobile phone while driving is only allowed using a hands-free kit. Since last June, in addition to the fine of PLN 200 for non-compliance with this provision, drivers have been penalized with an additional five demerit points.

According to the police, the prescription and harsh punishments are not accidental. “No one invented them to make drivers out of spite. Our observations show that many collisions and accidents occur as a result of bringing the phone to the ear. In order to find it in your pocket and pick it up, the driver often spends several seconds, during which the car travels even several hundred meters. Then his attention is diverted from the road, and misfortune is not dangerous, explains Pavel Mendlar, spokesman for the commandant of the voivodeship police in Rzeszow.

Speaker and microphone

The choice of hands-free devices in our market is huge. The cheapest ones can be bought for a dozen or so zlotys. These are ordinary headsets with a microphone, with a volume control module and buttons for answering and ending a call. They connect to the phone with a cable. Such a device can be extended with a phone holder, attached to the windshield, for example, with a suction cup. Thanks to this, the mobile phone is always in our sight, and its operation does not require a long break from the road. Pens can be bought in car shops and hypermarkets for only a dozen zlotys.

GSM accessories stores also have headphones that connect to the phone via bluetooth. The principle of their work is the same, but the driver does not have to get confused in the wires.

Permanent or portable

Professional hands-free kits are divided into two groups. Cheaper - portable devices, attached, for example, to the sun visor in the area of ​​\uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbthe roof sheathing.

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– Such a device consists of a microphone and a loudspeaker. Most often, it connects to the phone wirelessly. It has buttons for volume control and for making and receiving calls. Prices start at around PLN 200-250, says Artur Mahon from Essa in Rzeszow.

Such a set works mainly when the driver uses several cars alternately. If necessary, it can be quickly removed and transferred to another vehicle.

The most technologically advanced devices are permanently installed in the car. The control module of such a kit is connected directly to the radio. This allows you to hear the conversation through the speakers of the audio system.

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– The element visible to the driver is the display with the button bar. It works like a phone screen. Shows who is calling, allows you to navigate the cell phone menu. This gives access to the address book, says Artur Magon.

This type of dialing connects to your phone using Bluetooth technology. It works automatically when the ignition is turned on. It automatically activates the phone with which it was previously paired by the user. Without disassembly, it cannot be moved between cars, but many phone users can use it in the same car.

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– Prices start at around PLN 400 and go up to PLN 1000. The most expensive devices additionally have USB inputs and ports that allow you to connect, for example, an iPod. We recommend such kits for cars with a basic car audio package, which can be easily expanded in this way, adds A. Magon.

You need to prepare about PLN 200 to install the device in a professional service.

Ask your dealer

In the case of new cars, factory hands-free kits are an interesting alternative. Most often, the phone control buttons are then built into the steering wheel, and information from the mobile phone is displayed on the on-board computer display on the instrument panel. For vehicles with an extensive audio and navigation system, on the primary color display. For example, in Fiat, the system is called Blue & Me and allows you to remember five different phones. After entering the car, it automatically detects who it is dealing with and activates the phone book that the driver has previously copied to the system's memory.

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– The connection can be established by using the control buttons and looking at the screen. But it is also possible to select the caller by voice. After pressing the button on the steering wheel, say the connection command and say the selected name from the address book. The system works in Polish and recognizes commands without problems,” explains Christian Oleshek from the Fiat dealership in Rzeszow.

Blue & Me can also read incoming SMS. Equipping a car with such a system costs from PLN 990 to 1250.