Bluetooth headset sales booming after legislation changes in CA and WA
Talking while driving just got a little more expensive on the west coast. Legislation went into effect last month in California and Washington requiring the use a headset of some sort. California's law was passed way back in 2006, yet most would-be good citizens waited until the absolute last minute to comply, with sales of Bluetooth headsets surging to four-times the national average in the months prior according to the NPD Group. Still, 7,182 citations were handed to naughty Californians in July. Up north only 100 were nabbed, as Washingtonian drivers can't be pulled over unless they commit some other violation as well, making headset use there a little more ... optional, so long as you lay off the throttle, Speed Racer.
Filed under: Peripherals
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Maenxe @ Aug 7th 2008 8:08PM
First comment!
This is the dumbest F***in law ever. How many accidents are going to be caused by people fiddling with their headsets? Texting and Dialing are still totally legal, which is odd, but the govt's rationale is that it's still illegal to "drive while distracted". If that's the case, why not just ticket idiots under that law instead of passing all new legislation? You can't legislate away stupidity.
I'm probably the last Engadget Mobile reader alive that has a phone that doesn't support Bluetooth so I'm rockin the Speakerphone and draining my battery while I'm driving. Yay...
M@
NuShrike @ Aug 8th 2008 5:41PM
Combine it with the facts that most people have bad driving reflexes, drive heavy and poor visibility SUVs, are in poor physical shape, do not know where to put their hands on the wheel, do not pay attention, cannot multitask their limbs, do not set their mirrors on their blindspots, do not use their turn signals, use worn OEM tires, cannot pass the GT B-License, and are just plain Darwin stupid.
It would explain the slow, weaving, poor road awareness all the time.
NuShrike @ Aug 8th 2008 5:43PM
Btw, ever heard of a car charger or a wired headset?
Big Al @ Aug 8th 2008 3:37AM
I really hope that you're just trolling...
First, they don't teach you to drive with two hands on the wheel just for the sake of doing it. If you have one hand on the wheel, it makes you less responsive, and since 50% of accidents are because of the other driver, that responsiveness counts.
Second, you could just put on the headset when you get in the car, or at the very least make it easily accessible.
Last, this is not the dumbest law ever. The really stupid stuff is here.
http://www.totallyuselessknowledge.com/laws.php
My favorite is from Illinois:
According to state law, it is illegal to speak English. The officially recognized language is "American."
Al @ Aug 8th 2008 4:00AM
This law is also in effect in Oregon and Washington last I heard and some where in the north east. So California isn't the only one.
Veraxus @ Aug 8th 2008 1:46PM
And the iPhone STILL doesn't have hands-free bluetooth calling. Thank you, Apple for preventing me from calling people in my car - something my crappy Sprint clamshell was doing 5 YEARS AGO.
fickle finger of fate @ Aug 21st 2008 6:24PM
There is no requirement in CA, "requiring the use a headset of some sort". The requirement is to use a hands free device which includes more than headsets. I use the Blueant Supertooth 3, I refuse to walk around with an illuminated dildo sticking in my ear.