Keep your hands to yourself

Think switching to a hands-free wireless phone will make you a safer driver? Consider this: Less than 2% of drivers who get into serious accidents were distracted by their cell phones compared with almost 11% who were distracted by conversations with other occupants in the car, according to research recently reported by the University of North Carolina’s Highway Research Center. Several studies point to the fact that it’s the conversation–not the act of holding a phone–that poses a risk. Still, common sense tells you it’s better to have two hands on the wheel than one. So if you’re planning to go hands-free, here are a few tips:

• Most hands-free kits use a 2.5-millimeter, or "standard" jack. If your phone doesn’t accept a 2.5-millimeter jack, you may be able to use an adapter.
• For hands-free phoning in and out of your car, two basic choices exist: an integrated earpiece and microphone; and an earpiece with a microphone on a boom or extension. These kits generally cost in the $20-$50 range.
• If you plan to be hands-free only while driving, a car kit consists of a speaker and a microphone that clips to your visor. You place the phone in a cradle attached to the dash or floor. Most of these kits recharge the phone battery while the phone is in the cradle. Prices for car kits start at about $50. You can also buy an accessory that sends the audio through your car stereo speakers.
• Some phone models offer voice-recognition technology, so you can speak to dial a number.

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