New regulations and laws are in the midst of being past all over the world to reduce the amount of distraction that hand held devices have on a driver.

GPS devices are considered hand held devices and you could be targeted for a ticket if you do not have a proper GPS mount for your car.

Here are some options available for you to safely and legally use your GPS while driving along with things you must do to comply with the law.

Things to Consider

Be Sure The Mount Fits Your Model

There are many different brands of GPS, the most popular being – Garmin, Tomtom, Magellan, Mio and Lowrance.
All brands come with their own adapter mount with either a suction base or lock base that attached to your windshield or dashboard. If you choose a mount or holder below that isn’t suction based you’ll need to make sure the attachments are compatible with the fitting on the back of your GPS.

Positioning Your Mount

In California, New Jersey and Minnesota it is illegal to have a mount attached to your windshield. New legislation was recently passed in California to allow for windshield mounts only if they are at the far bottom left of the windshield or the bottom right on the passenger side. With any mount you do not want to have it in a place that creates a blind spot or obstructs your view of the road.

GPS Mounts and Holders

Suction Mount

Every GPS should come with its own suction mount that can attach to the windshield of the top of your dashboard. The problem with these suction mounts is that it leaves a “footprint” or “ring” when removed that can be pretty hard to get out. This is caused by the rubber heating and leaving a residue on the windshield.

Another disadvantage of this method is that you’ll have to remove your unit GPS manually from the bracket which can be a pain if there isn’t a quick release button. Also having a gps mount in view in your car tells thieves that you may have a GPS located somewhere in the car that they may attempt to steal.

Recommended Mounts

Friction Mount

A friction mount is a weighted pad filled with sand that rests on your dashboard and has a 3-4 inch diameter circle located in the center where you can attach the suction mount that came with your GPS unit. The advantages of this mount is that it is very easy to move from car to car, indoors or hide under the seat.

The mount seems like it would  fall over from a sudden stop or fast acceleration but that does not happen with high quality ones such as these GPS Friction Dashboard Mounts at Amazon, read the reviews there for proof.

Air Vent Mount

If for some reason you do not want a friction mount I’d suggest going with the Arkon Sm329-Sbh Universal Removable Air Vent Mount. It attaches via two prongs that clip onto horizontal or vertical vents usually located above your radio display.

The clips are attached to a GPS holder that comes with adjustable arms that grasp onto a GPS (very universal with other devices as well).

By ensuring that a GPS mount is securely mounted in your vehcile you will not only avoid a potential traffic ticket but you will improve your attention to the road and possibly save your life or someone elses.

Many studies have shown that the use of cell phones while driving greatly increases the risk of a car accident, some studies go so far as comparing it to drunk driving.

New laws have been put into effect or in the works in many countries banning the use of hand held devices while driving. Fines can range from $100-$800 and some carry a demerit point deduction.

It would be much wiser to purchase a hands free car kit to avoid a ticket and possibly save someones life, even your own.

While these hands free solutions do provide a safer way to drive while talking on your cell phone, consider these alternatives beforehand:

Calls Can Wait
The safest way to drive is to wait until you are not driving to make any calls, this ensures that 100% of your attention is on driving. While hands free solutions do help keep both your hands on the steering wheel and vision on the road you may be mentally distracted by the conversation, especially emotionally stressful ones.

Have a Passenger Take the Call

Plan Your Calls for Before or After Your Drive
Have a voice message set up while you are on the road to notify the caller that you are currently driving and unable to take the call, but if they leave a message you’ll return it as soon as you are free.

Hands Free Car Kits

Many different products are available depending on your budget and preference.

1. Bluetooth Headset
   The most common and simple method to go hands free. Comes as an earpiece that automatically detects a bluetooth compatible cell phone. The earpiece outputs audio from the conversation and the attached microphone provides clear voice input quality. Much progress has been made to reduce ambient noise and improve microphone quality. The highest rated and best seller has so far been the Motorola H710 Bluetooth Headset (Black).
2. Bluetooth Speaker
   Some people do not like wearing an earpiece as it may be uncomfortable for them. The T505 Handsfree Bt Speaker attaches to a visor and has a microphone built in. Buttons on the front of the device allow for controls such as accepting or ending calls Also capable of playing music from bluetooth compatible players.
3. Wired Earbuds and Microphone
   For a lower budget solution, most cell phones come packaged with their own  wired headset and microphone to allow for hands free communication. However this solution is not recommended while driving as it greatly reduces the drivers audio awareness. If you do choose this method ensure that only one ear bud is used to comply with the law.
4. Voice Dialing
   This feature allows you to press a button and say a name or phrase which will then dial the number (See the Rear View Mirror solution below for an example). New technologies are being released which will allow you to “dictate” text to compose an email or a text message. This technology can also read back text to you from an email or text message to allow for completely hands free text messaging or sending/receiving emails. You can keep up to date with progress on these technologies from our main page.
5. Rear View Mirror Bluetooth Display
   A mounted mirror that clips over your rear view mirror. Looks very similar to all stock rear view mirrors to prevent theft. This device displays incoming calls on the mirror so that you aren’t looking down or stumbling for your phone to see who’s calling. Also has a mic and speaker built in. The Yada BT30404F-4 Hands Free Bluetooth Speaker Phone is the most common and highest quality one available currently on the market.
6. Speakerphone and Cell Phone Mounting Kit
   Another low budget solution is to use your existing phones speaker phone feature however you must have the device mounted in order to avoid a ticket. Mounting kits like the Arkon SM212 Weighted Friction Dash Mount are universal and will fit any cell phone, smartphone or PDA. While this solution is low cost it does not provide a hands free method to dial out or view incoming call display.
7. Vehicle Integrated Hands Free Kit
   Car manufacturers are keeping up with the needs of drivers by integrating hands free technologies into the dashboard and audio system of their vehicles to connect via bluetooth or auxiliary port to your cell phone. Check your vehicles drivers manual to see if there are any pre-installed hands free or voice activated technology present.

As you can see many options are available to go hands free and avoid paying a ticket. You’ll find that using one of these solutions will improve your driving and make using your cell phone much more convenient.

Be sure to subscribe as we will be keeping our readers up to date on the latest technologies and news on hands free ways to utilize your electronic devices on the road.