Americans are adept at adopting new technology, especially when it does more than entertain but instead helps us accomplish basic tasks in less time. Do you need to find your way to a new store or restaurant a few towns or neighborhoods away from your own? Plug the address in to a portable GPS device and you've suddenly got back-road knowledge only locals would know. Are you coordinating with your husband or wife to meet you there? Of course you've got a cell phone, so a simple phone call keeps you on track and on time.

Two small, portable devices that 20 years ago were rarely seen in people's hands and cars, especially GPS.

U.S. GPS leader Garmin shipped more than 5.5 million navigation devices this past holiday season. That's almost the same amount they sold in all of 2006.

Another GPS maker, TomTom, touts the safety benefits of having in-car navigation, showing how placing one of the units on your windscreen or dashboard helps with everything from driver fatigue to fuel efficiency.

And cell phones, of course, are everywhere. But in some cases do they help more than hinder? Case in point: many people use cell phones for more than just making phone calls. As America's tired thumbs know, mobile devices from Blackberrys to regular phones with simple keypads are capable of sending and receiving text messages. Forget the distractions caused by people holding cell phones to their ears while driving. Imagine what your mind, eyes and hands are focused on if you were to send or receive a text message on that tiny screen while moving along at 55 miles per hour. Shockingly, people everywhere are doing just that, putting themselves and others in danger.

At BehindTheBuy.com, we're in the solutions business, so we encourage two things: one, don't ever send or read a text message while you're driving, and, two, get yourself a simple headset -- either the tethered or Bluetooth kind -- for a hands-free phone conversation, if you feel you just can't wait to get out of the car before your next phone call.

Companies like Jabra have a wide selection of both tethered and Bluetooth headsets for hands-free phone operation. Also, Motorola makes more than slim, stylish phones. We've been using the H12 Bluetooth wireless headset for about three weeks now and we've got no complaints so far. (Granted, it has a $119 price tag. There are plenty of more affordable options out there for you.)

In the end, common sense rules. Even if you have a pricey and stylish headset, we still recommend not talking on the phone while driving. We'd like to see you drive safely to your destination, rather than have you driven to distraction.

-- Will Safer
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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.