A wireless, hands free Bluetooth device like a Bluetooth car kit, Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth speakerphone are much less cumbersome than wired headsets. That is a fact we can all agree. People who use the popular brands of Bluetooth headsets like Motorola, Parrott, Bose, and Sony tend to use the “Set it and forget it” notion. They set the Bluetooth headset on their ear and forget about it for the remainder of the day.

People who are concerned with the amount of radiation put off by these headsets should be concerned with another factor; distracted driving. Is it safe to talk on a mobile device while driving? Is it safer to use a hands free, wireless Bluetooth headset while driving? Is the safest practice not to talk on a mobile device while driving? I may be able to help shed some light on this debate.

In North Carolina in 2002, the UNC Highway Basic Safety Study Center reviewed accidents in the state connected to mobile phone and mobile device usage. Scientist reviewed police reports, random questionnaires, and telephone surveys and came up with this conclusion: 1 out of every 623 motor vehicle crashes involved a cell phone. Additionally, it is believed that 1,475 yearly crashes in North Carolina were related to mobile device or cell phone usage.

The study also concluded less than 10% of those who were involved in a motor vehicle crash were utilizing a hands free device like a Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth speakerphone.

There is one word to sum up the real cause of those collisions; inattention. Driver inattention is the real, underlying issue with the above listed number of accidents. I’d be willing to go one step further and say inattention causes the majority of collisions nationwide (in my own opinion).

Since the state and local legislature has finally caught on to this rolling epidemic, they are now pushing for strict laws against using hand held mobile devices such as cell phones, iPods or mp3 players. This in turn has increased the popularity of Bluetooth headsets and Bluetooth speakerphones. This option gives those folks who must talk and drive the safer, legal alternative.

The Insurance Policies Industry Institute has the opportunity to review the above study and came up with their own statistics; 73% of drivers report using a mobile phone while driving. People who use a hand held mobile device are 1.3 times more likely to be involved in an accident over those who use a hands free Bluetooth device.

The safest driving practice is to limit your attention to one function: operate that two ton speeding missile called your vehicle. The safer practice is to limit your attention to the most important tasks. If chatting on a mobile phone is important to you, make sure you invest in and use a Bluetooth device like a Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth speakerphone.