Talking and driving-Safety tips

Buy a headset
Using a Headset helps to safely keep your hands on the steering wheel while also keeping your eyes on the road. Also, they eliminate the loss of peripheral vision that holding a cell phone to your ear causes. Furthermore, with new technological advances and constant changes being made, cellular headsets are no longer awkward or uncomfortable. A variety of models are available through Hello Direct: everything from wireless headsets to in-the-ear models (that don't require microphone booms).

Mount your phone
There are a variety of cellular phone companies, which offer cell phone mounting kits for your automobile. Most mount onto the dashboard or just off the armrest, and typically include microphones and speakers, with a few more advanced models using your stereo’s speaker instead.  Most kits act as both speakerphones and chargers, working to boost your phone’s battery even while you talk. If you have multiple types of cellular phones in your family, try to purchase a mount compatible with all brands and manufacturers.

Turn up the volume
Turn up your cell phone’s volume when you get in the car, so that you are able to hear initial rings. Missing them makes one more likely to be distracted, rushing to catch calls before they roll into your voice mail. Also, so as to help you concentrate on the road, turn up the volume when you are on a call, so that you do not have to listen closely to hear the caller’s voice.

Avoid dialing while driving
If, by chance, you are in the car with others, let them retrieve or make calls on your behalf. If you need to talk, let the passenger hand you the phone once they have placed or picked up a call. Also, if you are constantly on the phone, a phone with speech recognition could be a worthwhile investment, as they allow you to speak a person’s name in order to dial their number, a great safety feature for the car.

Be aware of your surroundings
On top of dialing, poor reception and your response to it poses yet another distraction in the dangerous feat of talking while driving. A common reaction to poor reception or the inability to make a call or losing one you’re already having is to get angry and continually look down at your phone’s LCD to see how much service you are receiving. In fact, parts of the country with poor cellular phone coverage have banned the use of cell phones because of the number of accidents caused by exactly this type of distraction. Voluntarily ending calls when you are approaching a low coverage area is putting safety first. Not accepting or making calls as you approach areas with heavy traffic or near an intersection/highway exit is a good idea as well.

Take important calls only
Unless it’s an emergency, most calls can wait until you’ve pulled over or have reached your destination. Tell friends or callers that you will call them back when you have a chance, or when you can safely give them your full attention.

Pre-paid Service plans
Buying a pre-paid cell phone service has its ups and downs. Firstly, you know you can’t talk for more minutes than you have, so once you use up all your minutes, it’s tough luck from their on out. If you get stuck somewhere or need a ride, you’ll have to find another way to call. It’ll help you manage time, and ensures that you won’t be running up a high bill every month. For a list of different pre-paid wireless plans check out: cellphones.about.com/library/bl-us-prepaid-cell-phone.htm