Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Lake Forest, CA: SpeechPhone Launches Handsfree Driving Solution Just in Time to Comply with New Handsfree Driving Laws

When the phone rings, drivers take their eyes off the road to find their phone (on the seat, in the purse, on the floor, etc.) and then they look to see who's calling. When drivers need to make a call, they take their eyes off the road to scroll through their contacts stored in their phone or to look at the keypad to dial a number. Some people actually take their eyes off the road to read or reply to a text message or to write down a voice mail and return the call. Sometimes a few seconds looking away from the road is all it takes and BAM.

Lake Forest, CA (PRWEB) July 1, 2008 -- SpeechPhone launches handsfree driving solution just in time to comply with the new handsfree driving laws.

California law SB1613 goes into effect Tuesday, July 1, 2008 and makes holding a mobile phone and talking while driving illegal. 38 million drivers in California are faced with a decision on how to comply with the new law.

"The new handsfree driving law is a good start but it's not enough to save lives" said Michael D. Metcalf, Chairman of SpeechPhone. Most accidents are caused by drivers who take their eyes off the road in order to use their mobile phone, said Metcalf.

When the phone rings, drivers take their eyes off the road to find their phone (on the seat, in the purse, on the floor, etc.) and then they look to see who's calling. When drivers need to make a call, they take their eyes off the road to scroll through their contacts stored in their phone or to look at the keypad to dial a number. Some people actually take their eyes off the road to read or reply to a text message or to write down a voice mail and return the call. Sometimes a few seconds looking away from the road is all it takes and BAM.

Lake Forest based SpeechPhone is trying to solve the real problem by offering drivers a new solution called SafetyPhone that allows them to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. SafetyPhone combines Bluetooth technology with speech recognition technology and live operator services in order to provide a true handsfree solution, said Bob Miller General Manager of Toyota of Huntington Beach, CA.

SafetyPhone uses a speech activated operator named Mandi to answer incoming calls. Mandi tells the driver who's calling verbally and the driver can say "connect the call" or "take a message". It's live having talking caller ID said Metcalf. Drivers know who's calling before they accept a call and yet they can do this truly handsfree. Making calls is as easy as saying the name to dial. Mandi looks up the number and dials it - fast. Drivers don't need to look at or touch the phone to make calls. Mandi can also be used to send or receive text messages by voice command so drivers don't look away from the road or use their thumbs to type anything.

The handsfree driving law is a great start to drive public awareness about the real danger of using your mobile phone while driving but we all need to do more to address the real issues that cause the accidents so we can save lives, said Metcalf.

About SpeechPhone
SpeechPhone LLC is a leading developer of hosted speech applications designed to work from mobile phones, business phones or VoIP phones. SpeechPhone offers instant activation via the web in order to add speech to any phone at www.speechphone.com or www.safetyphone.com. SpeechPhone's virtual assistants are designed to save people time and make mobile people more productive and safer while driving. For more information contact Tracy Roberts at (949)655-1677.

About Toyota of Hunting Beach
Toyota of Huntington Beach is the premier Toyota Dealership serving Southern California with sales, leasing, finance and service. Toyota of Huntington Beach recently completed construction of its new $23 million dollar dealership and offers award winning customer service. Toyota of Huntington Beach is the dealer that cares about its customer's safety while driving. For more information contact dprado @ mytoyota.net at (714)847-8555.

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[Via Legal / Law]

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