Since the dawn of mobile phones we’ve grown used to being able to call anyone wherever we are, whether it’s an emergency or just for a chat with friends. However there are certain times where making a phone call can risk the safety of ourselves and others. One example of such time is whilst driving.

For the past few years it has actually been made illegal in the UK as well as some states in the USA for you to talk using your hand-held phone whilst driving. There have been countless avoidable accidents on motorways due to a driver’s attention being more on the phone conversation than on the road.

There are some people though who need to be in constant contact with work or perhaps a family emergency call and there are ways in which you can talk on the phone but not in a way that distracts you or takes your hands off the wheel. Many phones have car kits which can be used and tend to come in three different types:

Wired headsets

Most phones come with these as standard (unlike the later described Bluetooth ones) where they plug into your phone and normally are used like headphones with a microphone attached to the cable somewhere. In terms of call quality, they usually aren’t the best choice as the microphone will pick up a lot of ambient noise in and outside the car. It also can be quite dangerous to have headphones in your ear as it may block out any sounds from the road like a car horn or emergency sirens.

Bluetooth headsets

These are the most popular form of headsets as they don’t require trailing wires. A call can generally be answered by pressing one button on the headset. They also sit on one ear leaving your other ear free to hear the sounds of the road. There are many stylish Bluetooth headsets now available with some like the Aliph Jawbone which has voice-isolating technology used by the US military. This technology means the person you call will only hear you, not your radio or the ambient car noises which makes these headsets very appealing.

Built-in car kits

Some modern cars are even offering the functionality of a completely hands-free solution without the need for a headset or trailing wires with microphones. Integrated phone kits utilise the car’s audio system and usually contain microphones discreetly hidden in the dashboard or headliner. Luxury brands on higher spec models often have this functionality built into the on-board control centre which means all you need to do is put your phone down with it’s Bluetooth on and then when a call comes in you accept the call and talk as if the caller was sat next to you in the passenger seat.  This kind of integration is popular as it is possibly the safest way of talking whilst driving as you can even set some phones to answer or reject the call through voice recognition, meaning that hands never have to leave the steering wheel at the beginning, during or at the end of the call.

Related topics include guaranteed car finance, welcome car credit and used cars