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Are bluetooth headsets legal to use on the road? |
joebmc
Joined: Jan 03, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Kent
PM |
Due to this new law in the uk, i just want, if possible a, a confirmed answer:-
Can i use my hbh-60 will driving?
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masseur
Joined: Jan 03, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Sydney, London
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yes, definitly. you are also allowed to press buttons on the phone (i.e. send text) but you may not hold the phone. The law is really weird. At the end of the day they will consider if you are driving with due care and attention and you will be judged by tghat. but BT headset, or wired ones, or car kits etc are all legal.
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Ablufia
Joined: Nov 26, 2003
Posts: 23
From: UK Nottingham
PM, WWW
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according to this you cannot do anything that involves holding the phone - including texting.
some news reports i've seen have also suggested that you have to have the phone in a cradle - but obviously if you have a bluetooth earpiece with voice activated dialling, you wouldn't even need to see or touch the phone...
ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong tiddle eye po - apparently. |
masseur
Joined: Jan 03, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Sydney, London
PM |
The link you gave agrees with what I said regarding texting.
To quote from the article in your link
Can I send or receive a text?
Not if the process involves you holding the phone.
this implicitly means you can send a text as long as you do not hold the phone and that is exactly how it was also described in the article in the daily mail this morning too where it did mention that you can press any buttons on the phone as long as you do not hold it.
However it went on to say that if you are spending a long time looking at the phone that falls under the due care and attention law in the same way it would if you were tuning a radio.
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Ablufia
Joined: Nov 26, 2003
Posts: 23
From: UK Nottingham
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well you can recieve a text without touching the phone - but sending a text would involve lack of due care and attention - unless those new fangled P900's have got voice recognition/T9 hybrids ?
as with all laws though, there's never enough clarity for joe public to know what's going on... |
DylanR
Joined: Sep 02, 2003
Posts: 2
From: UK
PM |
Here's the official word.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_025216.hcsp
But as said before, the short version is: if you need to hold the phone at ANY point for incoming or outgoing calls you are breaking the law.
Bluetooth or corded headset, either is good. I personally have voice activation and dialing and a push button on my corded ear piece |
Ablufia
Joined: Nov 26, 2003
Posts: 23
From: UK Nottingham
PM, WWW
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And pushing buttons on a phone while it is in a cradle or on the steering wheel or handlebars of a motorbike for example is not covered by the new offence, provided you don't hold the phone.
Q3. What about texting/internet access/video phones?
The use of a mobile phone or similar device for any of these activities while driving is also prohibited if the phone (or other device) has to be held in order to operate it.
blimey - so you can text - i would've thought that was more distracting than talking - hahaha the law's an ass !
i bow down to everyone's superior knowledge on this !
ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong tiddle eye po - apparently. |
joebmc
Joined: Jan 03, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Kent
PM |
well many thanks for your replys still seems to be a little confusion about the hole thing, i'll just hope i dont get stopped for using it!
Thanks again for your help |
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Posted: 2003-12-01 11:14
