Plantronics UC Headsets Promise Hands-Free Driving for Maryland Drivers

By Rajani Baburajan, TMCnet Contributor

Starting Friday, Oct. 1, Maryland will ban the use of handheld mobile electronic devices including phones while operating a motor vehicle - unless a hands-free device is used.

According to the new law, Maryland drivers will be banned from using handheld phones for anything other than emergency calls. Violators of this law will receive a $40 fine for a first offense and $100 fine for each subsequent offense.

Headsets and in-car speakerphones minimize physical and visual distractions associated with talking while driving by enabling motorists to keep both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road.

Plantronics, a provider of personal audio communications, encourages Maryland drivers to prepare for the hands-free driving law by educating themselves on the new headset and in-car speakerphone options available and following a set of simple safety tips.

Elizabeth Bastiaanse Hamren, vice president of Marketing at Plantronics (News - Alert), said, “As more states enact hands-free legislation, Plantronics continues to develop a variety of hands-free products to fit a range of personal styles and budgets while still providing the first-rate audio quality consumers want.”

“Given that Maryland drivers have the second longest commute time in the country, we think they'll especially appreciate the award-winning performance, comfort and usability that our products deliver,” Hamren said.

To stay safe on the road and to comply with the hands-free law, Plantronics offers a number of tips to drivers.

According to the company, the driver must familiarize himself/herself with the headset's controls and voice commands and adjust the fit and volume by taking the headset with their phone before they drive.

Also, the voice dialing feature in phones helps keep both eyes on the road even while making a call. Programming frequently called numbers into the phone can also help.

Plantronics offers a number of Bluetooth in-vehicle solutions for drivers.

The Plantronics Voyager PRO+ Bluetooth headset, featuring the new online voice service called Plantronics Vocalyst, offers features like text-to-speech, reminders, audio streaming, and much more.

Voyager PRO+ also includes A2DP wireless streaming technology that enables drivers to stream GPS directions from a mobile phone. The headset was launched recently.

The Plantronics K100 Bluetooth in-car speakerphone is designed to clip onto a car visor and allows users to broadcast calls through the built-in speaker or onboard stereo system.

Another headset, the Plantronics M100 Bluetooth Headset is one of the industry's slimmest headsets, delivering outstanding audio performance by incorporating dual microphones, wind-noise reduction and Digital Signal Processing or “DSP” technology, according to company officials.

(source: http://unified-communications-headsets.tmcnet.com/topics/unified-communications-headsets/articles/105153-plantronics-uc-headsets-promise-hands-free-driving-maryland.htm)