New Bluetooth-friendly Fords help curb illegal phone use

UK car and commercial vehicle bestseller, Ford, is leading road safety efforts to eliminate mobile phone misuse by offering Bluetooth hands-free technology on almost all of its latest cars and commercial vehicles.

This technology moves centre stage following a report by road safety charity Brake revealing that 34 per cent of motorists admit to phoning on a handheld mobile when driving. Laws banning conversations using a handheld phone while driving came into effect on December 1, 2003.

Ford has extended the automatically-activated Bluetooth technology to cover almost its entire range of vehicles including the 2007 Car of the Year, the Ford S-MAX, and the 2007 International Van of the Year, the Ford Transit. Other Bluetooth-enabled Ford models boasting this safety-enhancing, hands-free feature are the Fiesta, Fusion, Focus, Focus C-MAX, Mondeo and Galaxy.

With Bluetooth already standard on most handsets, connection to the vehicle's integrated system is automatic – with no need for extra wiring or unsightly adaptors. An incoming call on the journey prompts the radio or CD to mute and the call is taken wirelessly using the vehicle's audio speakers and in-built microphone.

Roelant de Waard, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said: "This research data highlights that Bluetooth is both an effective road safety technology, and one that helps to prevent our customers from breaking the law. Working alongside Bluetooth, voice activation also enables Ford drivers to give spoken instructions to perform a number of different functions in the car, which means less distraction for drivers on today's busy roads."