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Just Shut up and drive
Updated On: 16 November, 2009 01:40 PM IST | | Madhusudan Maney
Your car may sport that cool new device to let you make or take mobile phone calls without moving a finger, but you still can't use it while driving. That's the law of the land, and it's set to get stricter
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Your car may sport that cool new device to let you make or take mobile phone calls without moving a finger, but you still can't use it while driving. That's the law of the land, and it's set to get stricter
A premium feature offered in new cars could land you in jail for six months.
The government announced last week that it would amend the law to fine phone-using drivers Rs 2,000 or send them to jail for six months, or both.
Fiat Punto, Fiat Linea, and Tata Manza are among the cars offering devices that enable drivers to use the car stereo to talk and read text messages while driving.
These new devices, such as the Blue&Me that uses Bluetooth in the Fiat cars, let you use the phone without taking your hands off the steering wheel.
While the Centre is also thinking of suspending the licence of a driver who breaks the no-using-the-phone rule, car users are questioning why using devices like Blue&Me should attract even the existing penalties.
Nanak Ghosh (38), an interior designer, felt that as technologies such as Blue&Me let you make or take calls without using the hands at any stage, using the mobile with the new devices should not constitute an offence.
"Using the mobile while driving should be allowed," said Ghosh. "When we are travelling with friends or family members we keep talking to them, it (using Blue&Me) is just like that."
He said holding the phone and driving was not a good idea, but using Bluetooth car devices was safe.
But auto expert Indresh felt using the mobile phone in any manner would divert the concentration of the driver from the road.
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AGAINST THE LAW? You can not use the totally hands-free mobile phone device available with many new cars because talking on the phone and driving is illegal. Read Next Story Trending StoriesLatest Photos |
