Drivers in California and Washington need to beware come July 1. That's when enforcement begins for new laws banning the use of handheld communication devices while driving. In short, you can no longer drive and hold a phone to your ear unless you want a ticket in your hand. With the new laws about to go into effect, more drivers will look to Bluetooth hands-free devices to keep them connected -- and legal -- while on the go.

Under the law (SB 1613 in CA), it is illegal to hold a cell phone to the head while driving, making it mandatory to use a hands-free device when talking on the phone. Drivers violating the laws will receive a ticket and fined between $20 to $175 in California. As hands-free legislation spreads across the nation, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is working to educate the public on how Bluetooth technology can be used in the car for hands-free compliance.

"With more and more states and individual cities passing hands-free laws, it's getting difficult for drivers to know where the laws are in effect," says Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. "The simplest way to comply is to go wireless with Bluetooth technology. Many new vehicles come with Bluetooth technology built in. It's easy and cost effective to buy a headset that connects to your mobile phone, install an aftermarket Bluetooth car kit, or simply clip a Bluetooth speakerphone to the vehicle's visor."

California and Washington join Connecticut , New Jersey, New York, Washington D.C. and dozens of municipalities that have enacted hands-free laws. The July 1 hands-free laws will impact 23 million licensed drivers in California and 4.6 million drivers in Washington. In addition, visitors driving in the areas with hands-free laws will also be required to comply with handheld bans. The trend only promises to grow as every state in the U.S. has considered some form of hands-free prohibition.

"Lawmakers at the state, federal and local levels are examining a wide variety of issues related to driver focus," according to Matt Sundeen, transportation expert for the National Council of State Legislatures. "However, the most common concern is the potential distraction caused by communication devices in the car."

According to the National Council of State Legislatures, 73 percent of drivers use their cell phone in the car.

Examples of Bluetooth hands-free devices include:
-- AFTERMARKET HANDS-FREE CAR KIT - Parrot 3200 LS COLOR: A professionally installed hands-free Bluetooth car kit with color LCD, and voice recognition and noise cancellation features. Contacts are stored in the memory of the Parrot 3200 LS-COLOR. The voice recognition feature enables numbers to be dialed automatically by stating the contact's name: "Call John."

-- HEADSET - Plantronics Discovery(R) 925* Bluetooth(R) Earpiece: The Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth earpiece blends an elegantly simple VFrame(TM) design with crisp sound quality for the ultimate in couture technology. Effortless set-up, AudioIQ(R) noise control technology and a stylish carrying case with rechargeable battery keep consumers in touch and in style.

-- IN-VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - Ford SYNC Powered by Microsoft: A fully integrated, voice activated in car communication and entertainment system for mobile phones and digital music players. SYNC technology enables drivers to operate Bluetooth mobile phones with simple voice commands.

-- SPEAKERPHONE - Motorola MOTOROKR T505: Take calls hands-free and enjoy music via the T505's speaker or through the car speakers. The T505 connects Bluetooth enabled phones to the car stereo without wires or installation. With the touch of a button, StationFinder(TM) finds and announces where to tune the FM radio to hear calls through the car stereo. Simply Clip, Tune & Go!

Bluetooth technology also lets consumers stream music between a music player or mobile phone directly to the car stereo and integrates other mobile phone features like reading aloud text messages. The forthcoming Bluetooth high speed wireless technology will enable streaming video between portable media players and automotive rear seat entertainment systems. And expect to see Bluetooth technology continue its innovation in automotive diagnostic, telematics and navigation applications.

To learn more about hands-free legislation and options for using Bluetooth technology to obey the laws, the Bluetooth SIG is providing educational resources at http://www.bluetooth.com/btmicro/onthego_demo.html