New Jersey Now the Most Expensive State for Talking on a Cell Phone While Driving
NEW YORK, Feb 27, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- New Jersey drivers will have to be more careful while driving and using their cell phones this weekend because starting March 1 they could be fined $250 for violating the state's hands-free law -- the most expensive hands-free fine in the nation.
The state of New Jersey originally adopted hands-free legislation as a secondary offense in July 2004, making the use of cellular phones while driving punishable by fines ranging from $100-$250, but drivers could only be ticketed in conjunction with another traffic violation.
Beginning Saturday, however, the law becomes a primary offense, allowing police to pull over drivers solely for using a cell phone will driving. If caught using phones without a hands-free device, drivers will face a fine of $250 for talking on the phone and $100 for text messaging.
Connecticut, New York and District of Columbia all have primary laws and levy fines up to a $100 for the first infraction, with New York's increasing to $200 and $500, for the second or third violation, respectively.
The change in legislation has New Jersey's 7.8 million drivers more seriously considering the various hands-free solutions available today which include both portable and professionally installed car kits.
"New Jersey has definitely raised the bar for enforcing its hands-free law and drivers have a compelling choice to make," says Ed Valdez, president and COO, Parrot, Inc., the world's leading supplier of car kits for original equipment and aftermarket installation.
"In addition to the slogan 'click it or ticket' for seat belts, New Jersey drivers can now add 'pair it or ticket' for not having a Bluetooth hands-free device. Choosing a handsfree solution is also a wise investment -- you can purchase entry level solutions for less than $89 which is far less than the $250 you could get for the first violation."
Apparently, drivers in the New York tri-state area are beginning to get the message. Parrot says sales of its hands-free car kits in the region were up 65 percent last year over 2006.
Parrot's entire range of hands-free solutions are enabled by Bluetooth technology, allowing seamless, wireless pairing of any Bluetooth-enabled cell phone to its innovative line of plug and play and installed car kit options. The new technology being built into cell phones and Parrot car kits not only enables hands-free phone calls using voice recognition, but also streaming music.
"Drivers are now caught in the Bluetooth wave here in the U.S.," said Valdez. "Bluetooth-enabled cell phones accounted for about 70 percent of new phones sold in the fourth quarter of 2007 while MP3 capability was integrated in nearly 50 percent them. Using a Bluetooth-enabled hands-free solution with new features like audio streaming may no longer be a luxury but a necessity."
New Jersey drivers can choose from a variety of hands-free cell phone products, including the popular Parrot MINIKIT, a portable Bluetooth speakerphone or the new Parrot MK6100, a full-featured installed hands-free car kit with streaming music. Another plug and play solution is the Parrot PMK5800, a Bluetooth(R: 58.42, -0.76, -1.28%) hands-free kit that lets consumers stream music from a Bluetooth-enabled phone, MP3 player, iPod(R: 58.42, -0.76, -1.28%) or smartphone through a car's audio system. They range in price from an MSRP of $89.99 for a Parrot MINIKIT to $299.99 for a Parrot MK6100 music kit, with many models in between.
Background
The "Parrot Tri-State Hands-Free Study" released last October by Parrot and Harris Interactive, found the following statistics around New Jersey drivers and hands-free driving legislation:
-- 61% of New Jersey drivers are aware of the hands-free legislation - the
lowest awareness rate in the tri-state area. Yet, 82% of New Jersey
drivers favor the legislation
-- The worst offenders of using their hand-held phones while driving are
New Jersey drivers (43% of the time), women drivers (41% of the time)
and 18-34 year old drivers (41% of the time)
-- 46% of New Jersey drivers think the legislation is a primary offense
but the law will not officially change until March 1, 2008
-- 100% of New Jersey drivers surveyed have never received a ticket or
warning
-- 58% of New Jersey drivers believe texting is not allowed however as of
August 2007 it has not been made illegal
For more information about Parrot's range of wireless car kits and multimedia products, please visit our website at www.parrot.com.
ABOUT PARROT
Founded in 1994, Parrot has rapidly established itself as a pivotal global player for wireless mobile telephone accessories. Drawing on its tried-and- tested expertise on voice recognition and signal processing technologies, Parrot was one of the very first companies to produce Bluetooth(R: 58.42, -0.76, -1.28%)-based wireless hands free car kits, having identified this standard's vast potential as early as 1999. In 2006, Parrot sold about 3 million units. Determined to accompany the wireless peripherals' irresistible breakthrough into our day-to- day lives, Parrot has been developing since 2006 a new wireless range of sound and image products. Today, Parrot truly has a major international focus: 90.5% of its sales are generated outside of France, and a large percentage of its production is outsourced to carefully selected partners, enabling it to achieve the best possible level of quality and responsiveness. Parrot is now particularly well positioned to capitalize on the bright future opening up for mobile telephone devices. Parrot has achieved strong growth in its consolidated revenues, up from 80.9 million Euros pro forma in 2005 to 166.9 million Euros in 2006.
Euronext Paris - Eurolist, Compartiment B: FR0004038263 - PARRO
(C: 22.06, -0.04, -0.18%) The Bluetooth(R: 58.42, -0.76, -1.28%) word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth(R: 58.42, -0.76, -1.28%) SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Parrot S.A. is under license.
(C: 22.06, -0.04, -0.18%) Parrot trademarks and logo figuring on this document are the exclusive propriety of Parrot SA.
Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.
(C: 22.06, -0.04, -0.18%) 2008 Apple Inc. Apple & iPod are trademarks of Apple.
SOURCE Parrot
Copyright © 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
