Bluetooth safety defect in voice dialing

[www.sellcom.com]

Sorry if this seems angry but...

Folks this matter of the disabled Bluetooth voice dialing needs to be reported to
your local state atty's office as a product safety issue. I am not privy to what
caused this, but knowing Google it is probably related to either greed or control.
My Droid<tm> has on the box a thingie that says: "Drive responsibly call with care",
now isn't that sweet of them to care??

I am not a big government fan, but this issue needs to be reported. Call your state
atty product safety dept. (or it may be a federal agency) and let's get this
investigated by some folks who can do more than just whine about it like we are doing
here.

This could also be a major civil liability for Motorola and Googre since they are and
WERE clearly aware of the DEFECT before going to market.

Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I can post a link where product safety complaints should be filed.

Steve Winter http://www.sellcom.com

 

[dtrust]

Although I totally agree with you that it is an issue that needs to be addressed, getting it fixed because of a 'safety issue' just isn't going to happen. If the phone doesn't work safely while driving, you have the option of not using it while driving. Nowhere in any law that I am aware of is it illegal to make a device that is car safe if it isn't a necessary function of driving a car. (yes, I know, child safety seats would be an example, but that's something different)

Now, I 'm not a lawyer, so I could be totally talking out of my posterior here, so take it for what it's worth.

It would be really nice if Google/Verizon/Motorola fixed this. What would REALLY get it fixed FAST would be no one buy any phone that didn't work with bluetooth COMPLETELY voice driven. You would see this issue dissapear OVERNIGHT! Programmers at Google would be working 30 hours a day to fix it. That's the bottom line. There have been a few people that have taken the phone back because of this, but nowhere near enough. How long has Android been out, and it still isn't fixed, over a year? Google knows that they can get away with this, and they won't bother with it until it becomes a REAL issue. Look on their Android bugtrack site. It's not even listed as a high priority fix. (or it wasn't last time I looked). That will tell you what they think of it, better than any speculation any of us can do.

Now, I'm one of those who bought the Droid, knowing full well that voice dial and bluetooth voice dialing didn't work 'correctly'. I have found workarounds that, well, work for me, as I'm sure others have. Hopefully, someday soon it will get fixed. Then we all can go on to the next complaint.

p.s. no offense meant to the OP, I just don't think there is any legal recourse here.

 

[droidweasel]

lol. u put that perfectly. and by the way,when i drive,i dont mess with my phone at all. i know the dangers involved. and when u purchase a phone, do some research. if its not satisfactory to you,dont buy it.

 

[fyrman49]

I do miss the ability to tap my bluetooth and say "call so and so". So until this is addressed by a software upgrade, I can only answer incomming calls.

 

[mjones73]

dtrust +1

Don't like that the feature isn't there? Don't buy the phone. Unless it's something published in the specs the phone should have but really doesn't, trying to go after them legally after the fact isn't going to get you very far.

 

[dtrust]

lol. u put that perfectly. and by the way,when i drive,i dont mess with my phone at all. i know the dangers involved. and when u purchase a phone, do some research. if its not satisfactory to you,dont buy it.

I have to admit that I do use the phone when I drive, but 99% of the time, I'm on a headset, FWIW. And then it scares me to do it. I am hyper-aware during that time. mostly just hyper.

As to the dangers involved, just ask my wife, who got rear-ended 3 years ago by a guy talking on a cellphone. He WAS using a bluetooth headset, but was so ingrossed in the call that her plowed into her without even hitting the brakes. Totaled both cars. (both were older cars) To top it off, my wife was sitting stopped on a straight part of a main road WAITING FOR A SCHOOLBUS WITH IT'S FLASHERS ON. The guy, to his credit, admitted that he didn't even see her or the schoolbus. Luckily, only metal and plastic was hurt, no flesh.

So, so much for bluetooth, as far as I'm concerned. ANYTHING that takes your mind off the road WILL eventually cause problems. We, as humans, are not equiped, on average, to handle more than one high-priority task at a time. (air traffic controllers are the exception, but they are a special breed)

So there.

 

[mjones73]

Gotta agree with you on that one too.

Hands free isn't the answer if you can't concentrate your attention on driving in the first place.

Glad to hear your wife walked away from that accident.

 

[Kaus]

Totally agree with u, there are third party s oftware solutions though so I've learned to live with it.

 

[pbrennan42]

In the UK our laws are a lot tougher concerning the use of cell phones while driving, and the penalties for being caught with a phone glued to your ear while driving is an ?80 fine and six points on your license (12 points and you lose it).

We are debating in parliament to put a complete ban on the use of cell phones while driving, including in car bluetooth kits. Problem solved.

If you really must answer a call pull over where it is safe to do so and then answer it. Otherwise, send the call to voicemail...

Yes, I am really against people playing with their phones while driving. Anything that can take your attention from the road ahead and its many hazards should be removed from your driving habits.

Sorry, but I do take a rather hard line on this. I was once almost hit by a taxi driving on to my stations forecourt too fast and with a phone glued to the driver's ear at night. He didn't even see me even though I was wearing a hi-visibility flight jacket and we had very bright lights on our forecourt. If I did not get the hell out of the way as fast as I did I would have gone under his wheels.

The dressing down I gave him after I had got his money for his fuel turned the air blue.

Phil.