Hands Free Communication
| Many Provinces
and States have implemented some kind of driving law aimed
at stopping texting or holding a cell phone, while
driving. The primary focus of the legislation is hand held
devices that require ongoing interaction, such as dialing
a cell phone, holding a cell phone while talking
and of course stopping people from texting while driving.
Unfortunately, the use of two way radio is either
directly included in these laws, or not mentioned,
leaving some interpretation of whether the law applies
or not. It is unfortunate that push to talk, two way
radio was rolled into any of this
legislation. Listening to a two way radio does not
require any more effort than listening
to music, and only requires a simple Push To Talk
(PTT) on a palm sized microphone, to talk. Most
commercial radio conversations are
brief, since people are working and the radio is a
communications tool, not a chat line.
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Province of Ontario
The Province of Ontario passed Bill 118, the Distracted
Driver Legislation, aimed at stopping people from operating
hand held devices while driving. In this, operating means
holding the device and pushing buttons, or talking while
holding the device.
There is an exemption on the use of two way radios until 2018,
to provide time for the industry to develop and implement
solutions. The exemption was originally until 2013, but was
extended to 2018 due to the limited options available for two
way radio, to meet the requirements of the law.
The Ontario legislation seems to promote the use of terminals
for communication, similar to those used by taxis or some
fleets. Hands Free operation using wireless headset or earpiece,
similar to the ones used for cell phones is another option. The
legislation does support a wired solution under the
Exemption
for pressing buttons, item 14., so long as the driver
is;
"pressing a button on a device that is worn on his
or her head or hung over or placed inside his or her ear or is
attached to his or her clothing and is linked to a
hand-held wireless communication device to make, answer or end
a cell phone call or to transmit or receive voice
communication on a two-way radio or a hand microphone or
portable radio."
Wireless Hands
Free Solutions
Wireless headset or earpiece interfaces for two way radio
mobiles and portables are on the market, and new solutions are
being developed. Most solutions provide a Bluetooth
adapter that is attached to the mobile or portable
radio, that can be paired with any off the shelf Bluetooth
headset. Some newer radios are including a Bluetooth option as
part of the radio.
One challenge is that Bluetooth headsets and earpieces do not
have a PTT button, so a separate PTT button is required. Both
the earpiece and the PTT button must be charged regularly and it
won't work without both devices.There is a line of wireless
devices from
Freelinc, that
use Near Field Magnetic Induction (NFMI) instead of Bluetooth to
communicate between the radio adapter and the earpiece, or
wireless microphone. The earpiece includes a PTT button built
in.
WillowFalls has been trying various solutions, in order to make
recommendations to our clients. So far, none of the solutions are
ideal. Some issues and things to consider include;
1) Bluetooth interfaces with earpiece can cost
$200-$300 dollars per radio. For commercial users, this can
be nearly half the price of the radio.
2) Pairing a standard Bluetooth earphone to a radio
Bluetooth adapter requires both the radio adapter and the
earphone to be in pairing mode. This can require several
steps, using small buttons, which can become frustrating
over time. New radios with built in Bluetooth adapters promise
to make this easier by automating the pairing function in the
radio, but the user still needs to activate the pairing function
on the earpiece or headset.
3) The typical Bluetooth earpieces are
small, lightweight and may not survive well in some service
industries. This can become a significant recurring expense
to replace lost or damage earpieces.
4) Wireless earpieces or headsets must be charged
overnight and users must remember to bring them with their
vehicle. For fleets that don't have drivers assigned to the same
vehicle all the time, this may be a challenge.
5) Off the shelf Bluetooth headsets and earpieces are
made for cell phones, so there is no Push To Talk (PTT) button.
Some Bluetooth radio adapters have a PTT button on the adapter,
which can be a nuisance to use. For example, on a portable radio
adapter that attaches to the side of the radio, there is a PTT
button. To speak on the radio, requires the user to reach the
adapter and push the PTT button, something that is difficult
while driving.
Another solution for PTT is a small wireless PTT button that
can be held in the hand, worn on the finger, or attached to the
belt, etc. These devices solve the PTT issue, so the user does
not have to reach for a button on the radio adapter, but they
can be a nuisance to hold all day, while working. These are also
another device that must be charged and that the driver must
remember to bring with them, and not lose.
6) Some people already have a Bluetooth headset or
earpiece for their phone, so trying to wear two of them
introduces a new problem. Some Bluetooth devices support dual
pairing, so the wireless Bluetooth headset or earpiece can
communicate with the radio and a cell phone. This can greatly
increase the complexity of getting the solution working and may
be more than some users can tolerate.
Wired Microphone & PTT
Installing a microphone on the ceiling of the vehicle with a push
button that is either foot or hand activated is an option for two
way radio users in some jurisdictions. The Ontario law requires
the button to be within reach of the driver;
"A person may drive a motor vehicle on a highway
while pressing a button on a hand-held wireless communication
device to make, answer or end a cell phone call or to transmit
or receive voice communication on a two-way radio if the
device is placed securely in or mounted to the motor vehicle
so that it does not move while the vehicle is in motion and the driver can see it at a quick glance
and easily reach it without adjusting his or her driving
position."
Foot operated switches are an option, but anyone who lives in an
area that gets snow will remember the problems with water and salt
destroying the old headlight dimmer switches on the floor.
Mounting a switch on the dash, in front of the driver is an
alternative.
The audio quality is actually quite good with this solution.
WillowFalls clients have used this in service vehicles which range
from cars to pickup trucks, to large diesel trucks. The microphone
will pick up some background noise and wind noise if the windows
are open. The intent of this option is to allow short information
exchanges over the radio, without having to pull off the highway.