LISTENING TO A CALL WHILE DRIVING

In my in box today was a story by the Science News magazine about the other end of a cell phone conversation while driving. Before this illuminating article, I knew that I needed a hands free device to use with my cell phone (other than legally) as there were just too many accidents while holding the phone and talking while driving. I also know of the insanity of texting while driving and wouldn't think of doing this. OK, I admit, that I don't text anyway so it is a moot question.

This Science article, to boil it down, simply says that when you talk and drive, your memory of what the person says to you will become significantly impaired thus defeating the prior knowledge that using commute time to do some business will help with your overall productivity.

The first thing this tells me is that I should monitor my calls received while driving and not make calls where my memory has to be top notch. The latter is obvious, but monitoring calls on my phone means that I have to pick up the phone to see who is calling to decide to receive it or let it go to message. Of course I will not be able to monitor private calls under today's technology.

Perhaps a good idea is to have a repetitive voice tell you who is calling rather than a phone ringing and your answer activates the call rather than have to push a button or open the phone's flap. Or you tell your phone, verbally, to go to message. This is a state that can be set before driving and reset after diving is finished. As well, when the before driving stage is set, a private call should have an operator tell the caller to announce themselves so you can decide to take it or not. This too, resets when not in driving mode. The benefit of the above is to reduce the use of hands as well as aid in monitoring while driving.

Cell phone companies, are you listening?