Ontario Might Ban Cell Phones in Cars...and Every Other Gadget!

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says he's considering following suit with many other cities in requiring that people use Bluetooth headsets or speakerphones when chatting on a cell phone in the car. This move makes perfect sense, and is really only for the benefit of everyone's safety. But then he continued on to discuss banning any electronic device one might use in the car, like portable navigation units or smartphones that can be used for e-mailing and web surfing. While I understand the need to make our roads safer, fining someone because he was hitting the "home" button on his GPS device, or reading an e-mail at a red light, isn't going to solve anything.

You can pick and choose devices to ban or not to ban, but then where do you draw the line? I have a satellite radio receiver in my car: can I be ticketed for pushing a pre-set button to change the station? After all, how is this any different from selecting a radio station on the car's factory stereo system? Or rifling through a book of CDs or audio tapes, which people have been doing while driving for decades! Many of these devices are just replacing the old methods of yesteryear. Instead of grabbing an audio tape out of the case to pop it into the cassette deck, we're connecting our iPods or surfing through satellite radio channels. Instead of holding up a poster-sized map to check for directions, we're punching in addresses on a portable navigation device.

It's important to note that I am not encouraging multi-tasking while you're driving on a 400-series highway in the GTA, or anywhere, for that matter. If a guy is swerving from lane to lane because he's in the midst of a heated discussion with cell phone in hand, or a young gal runs a red light because she's texting her girlfriends while driving, by all means, charge them with unsafe driving as you would charge anyone that's driving in an unsafe manner. What I am saying is that a complete "ban" could result in bogus tickets being handed out to people who are driving safely. Are we going to ticket people who sing in the car as well because it's distracting? Moms that are diffusing a back seat fight between the kids? Or dads enjoying quick sips of morning coffee while on the way to work? I think it's more important to target unsafe drivers as a whole, but leave the reasons to each, individual instance.

Frankly, I think if I was coerced into having my hands at 2 and 10 and my eyes focused on the road 100% of the time while driving, I'd space out from sheer boredom and stiffness, and be more likely to drive erratically, or fail to react quickly in the event of a potential accident. But maybe I'm just fooling myself...

Using handheld cell phones in the car is already banned in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Manitoba, as well as in U.S. cities like New York and, most recently, California.

[Photo: As cell phone bans continue to come into effect around the world, will we see huge leaps in the sale of Bluetooth headsets and speakerphone devices like the one depicted here?]

Try and Buy

The "try and buy" policy has always made a lot of sense to me. A few years ago, knowing that I was (and still am!) a big proponent for satellite radio, an industry member wanted to pick my brain on how providers could attract more customers. My advice? Let people try the service for free for a month or two. It'll cost a pretty penny, but I'll bet a huge percentage of them would sign up after having become used to some of the neat features.

This instance is just one example of "trying and buying", but there are even simpler methods that exist: take active product demos in store or the ever-popular "get the first 3 months free" promotions, for example. But it's even evident in things like test driving cars, taste-testing wedding cake, and age-old return policies that let you bring something back if you "aren't satisfied".

As of late, I've seen some really, clear-cut evidence that getting a product into a customer's hands can not only sway someone toward a particular model or brand, but can also convince someone to buy something that he never would have purchased otherwise. This is especially true when it comes to the ever-growing gaming industry.

A female friend of mine is the last person I'd peg as a "gamer". Recently, she moved into a new place, and her boyfriend lent her his PlayStation 3 to use for entertainment until she got her cable TV and Internet set up. She figured "why not" and gave some game demos a whirl. A few weeks later, the PS3 is back at her boyfriend's place (to her dismay), and she's purchased her own Xbox 360 (after doing some research to find out which console would best suit her newly found "gaming" needs). I'm still blown away that the gal who often said guys who sat around and played video games were "dumb and lazy" is now battling her way through magical lands and dancing into her own revolution. Meanwhile, a colleague of mine had a Nintendo Wii at home on-loan from a friend for a couple of weeks. They played some games simply because it was there, but never would have thought to buy one. After bowling, golf, and a few rounds of tennis, a brand spanking new Wii has now found its home in his.

Of course not everyone will have access to a friend or family member that can lend him products to try out, nor will they see a gaming console (or other product) fall into their lap for a week. But if anything, this reinforces the fact that, not only should a person always be able to try something out before forking over dough to buy it; but we should never "knock it 'til we try it". You never know what might pique your interest.

Digital Radio Set for Major Growth

Despite what some nay-sayers might believe, digital radio is set for major growth, with satellite radio leading the pack in the U.S. According to a study conducted by market research firm In-Stat, sales in the digital radio market are expected to rise three-fold from 2006 to 2011, reaching almost 32 million units four years from now.

It's interesting that satellite radio technology is still numero-uno south of the border, especially given the growing consumer awareness of HD Radio, which permits participating stations to simulcast in digital format. Further, HD Radio is actually free, whereas satellite radio requires that you pay for a subscription to access it!

The In-Stat study reports that 'increased choice of programming" is the primary driver of digital radio. In my opinion, the absence of commercials is just as significant a driver. Sure, it's important to be able to hear the local news, commentary, and traffic updates; but on the other hand, if I have a 20-minute commute to the office, I don't want to spend half that time listening to commercials in between tunes and the DJ's witty repertoire. Heck, on some days, I don't even want to hear the DJ, which is where a station with constant song after song after song is a welcome option.

Of course, there are customers with whom the music offerings on satellite radio simply don't appeal (major classical music aficionados, come to mind as an example). But for others, a few weeks with satellite radio will have you hooked; and the nominal, yearly fee likely won't phase you.

The results of the In-Stat report are even more topical, given the possible merger that's surrounding the two satellite radio providers, Sirius and XM. Personally, I think competition is a good thing, and with one, powerhouse provider, we might see less appealing deals and offerings. Let's hope this isn't the case. And even if a merger happens, it will take plenty of time to smooth out details; and since the Canadian counterparts operate independently from the U.S., the changeover may take even longer to happen here.