KMT legislator Huang Hsien-chou (
The review comes on the heels of a new law that forbids car or motorcycle drivers from using hand-held cellphones while driving.
The new regulation, which went into effect on Sept. 1, was created in an effort to reduce car accidents caused by hand-held mobile phone use.
However, one mobile handset expert said the risks of having a car accident are still high as most drivers continue to talk on the phone while on the road using an earpiece plugged into the handset.
"Connecting a wired earpiece to a handset to answer phone calls is not safe driving," said Chang Ya-pin (
He explained that the wired headphones tend to be awkward and that the cord can get caught on a driver's arm and restrict motion.
"A well-qualified hands-free phone system should be wireless, have no voice feedback and be able to be answered automatically ... therefore, the car kit type system is the safest choice," Chang said.
A car kit mobile phone answering system often comes built into newer vehicles by manufacturers or can be purchased and plugged into a car's cigarette lighter.
After connecting mobile phones to the kit, calls will be answered automatically, while the stereo is switched off at the same time.
According to one kit manufacturer, most foreign automobile companies have integrated this system as a standard component in their vehicles.
"Therefore, if consumers purchase foreign vehicles manufactured after 1998, they can chose to have this equipment build in," said Tonny Chen (陳錫蒼), president of E-Lead Electronic Co Ltd (怡利電子), which supplies car companies such as Toyota and Mitsubishi.
There is a variety of hands-free mobile phone equipment on the market, and prices can be as low as NT$300 for a wired headphone or up to NT$3,000 for a car kit.
To get the most bang for your buck, Hitech Industrial Development Foundation's Chang suggests consumers purchase brand name accessories at auto chain stores rather than night market rip-offs. Chang added that after-market add-ons should cost between NT$1,000 to NT$1,200.
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