Starting on July 1 of 2008 the state of California will require all cell phone gabbers to use a hands-free device while operating a vehicle. The GT is future-proofed in this area, as the JVC head unit that I recently installed also included Bluetooth technology (after I bought the Bluetooth adapter for it). The microphone's wire is routed under the dash and next to the steering column, with the mic itself sitting near the toggle switches. I just gave the system a good test while talking to a friend in Denver as I drove home from work...
The GT doesn't have the quietest cabin, especially at speeds above 50 mph, and part of me had been wondering if the technology would be wasted in a vehicle like this. But during the nearly one-hour conversation my friend and I heard every word, and he didn't once complain about background noise. I think one of the tricks with Bluetooth technology is its ability to filter out ambient noise to increase vocal clarity.
Or maybe my friend is just really patient when it comes to V8 thrum.
Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com @ 8,200 miles
boxermike says:
08:26 AM, 04/30/07
The only good thing about bluetooth is that I can finally change my pants AND talk on the phone while driving. (I balance my hot coffee on the dash during this endeavour.)
Is there any, ANY, empirical data to suggest that talking on a hands-free device is less distracting than having the unit to one's ear?
Until people start respecting the severity of the automobile no ammount of legislation (mandatory stability, seatbelts, hand-free) will slow the click of the death counter.
tirthankar_b says:
10:20 AM, 04/30/07
bluetooth technology has nothing to do with noise cancellation. u can appreciate the jvc receiver for that.
robert4380 says:
06:02 PM, 04/30/07
BoxerMike,
Would you consider simply talking with someone in the passenger's seat be as dangerous as talking on a cell with a hands-free device? Yes, physically fidgeting with a phone while driving is dangerous. But I wouldn't consider the mere act of talking alone to be a danger. It's when someone starts trying to look down to scroll through their list of contacts while taking a corner and shifting gears that a problem arises.
7driver says:
10:14 PM, 04/30/07
Robert,
Perhaps talking to a passenger would be less dangerous because the passenger would scream expletives at your near misses while someone on the other end of a phone call will keep talking after you've been t-boned running a red light.
jerrywimer says:
05:39 AM, 05/ 1/07
Your friend might be really patient when it comes to V8 thrum, or..
He might be like me. I have a good friend that can talk a dog's tail off. He's hard to get away from when he gets in the "discussion" groove, and this includes over the phone. Much of the time he can take 30 minutes telling you the entire background of a story just to make a 20 second point. So a lot of the time in conversations with him is actually spent making "uh-huh, yep, gotcha" noises and politely waiting for a keyword (while otherwise not really paying much attention) when he's on the phone. The background noises going on don't make much difference in that case. :D
No offense, but talking to anyone for more than 30 minutes on the phone is extreme to me. ;-)
robert4380 says:
06:03 AM, 05/ 1/07
7driver,
Well, if someone's not even capable of carrying on a simple conversation with a passenger in the car without that other person having to constantly tell the driver to "look out!" well then maybe the driver shouldn't be behind the wheel at all, even alone, don't ya think? Yes, on the whole cell phones don't help the situation any, but I think the population as a whole just lacks basic skills from driver's ed. I would totally be in favor of much stricter or advanced driver's licenses where you are granted more freedoms on the road after proving yourself. I consider myself to be a great driver and yet when someone just lumps me in with someone who barely passed the written exam, well, it's frustrating.
stingray454 says:
08:12 AM, 05/ 1/07
I love those toggle switches in the GT. Something very cool and racecar-like about them. I wish more manufacturers would use toggle switches on their performance cars.
boxermike says:
11:35 AM, 05/ 1/07
Robert,
Using a hands-free device does not stop people from scrolling through their phonebook, or texting. Yes, they certainly could use voice activated dialing, but it's a pain. I don't, and won't, do it. Thanks to the hands-free devices people now have an extra hand to scroll through iPod/XM menus, smoke, eat, whatever WHILE talking. I know I will.
Banning the cell phone isn't a fix for anything. It's another scapegoat to distract people from responsibility.