來自日本時報（The Japan Times）的消息：在日本政府對車載電話設置重重限制的前提下，日本的車載免提銷量仍然比去年同期增長近10倍。
車載藍牙耳機
據悉，目前日本的汽車用品經銷店在車載電話的銷售上大做文章，單只貨架數量就是平時的兩倍多。
日本一家汽車用品經銷店的店員Masato Uchida小姐介紹說：“我們的客戶絕大多數在商業圈子里非常活躍，他們業務繁忙，根本離不開車載電話這種設備，他們幾乎每時每刻都有可能接到來自外界的電話，即使在駕車過程中也不例外。”
據了解，目前車載免提的耳機一般而言價格在1000日元的低價徘徊，而通話設備一般在3000-5000日元左右。而據最新的日本道路交通安全法的規定，在駕車過程中使用甚至佩帶車載電話的，一經發現，將處以至少5000日元的罰款。
車載免提設備
其實，從1999年11月1日開始，日本已經嚴令禁止使用車載電話，而到目前為止，還很少有因為使用該裝置而被罰款的，其原因在于，該交法規定：“只用當車主使用車載電話，而且造成交通危險甚至交通事故的情形下，才能被納入處罰的范圍”。而最新出臺的交法將不得不改變策略，只要駕駛員安裝車載電話就要交納相關費用。
Yamato汽車運輸公司表示，出于工作需要，Yamato最近將對他們的34000臺貨車安裝免提電話設備。
相關新聞：
DRIVERS FACE CHARGES FOR HOLDING HANDSETS
Hands-free cell phone devices hot ahead of new law
Auto accessory shops are reporting a more than 10-fold jump in sales of hands-free devices for cell phones ahead of a ban on phone use while driving that kicks in Monday.
Kawasaki, Kanagawa Pref. -- A store employee shows the different types of hands-free devices for cell phones at Super Autobacs Kawasaki on Thursday.
The shops are devoting twice the usual shelf space to such gadgets.
"Most buyers are people who drive cars for business, like sales reps on the road," said Masato Uchida, a store clerk at auto accessory shop Super Autobacs Kawasaki.
"They have to pick up incoming business calls even while driving."
According to Autobacs Seven Co., operator of over 500 stores in Japan, sales of hands-free devices have shot up since around June, with September posting a more than 10-fold year-on-year growth.
Earphones are popular, given their relatively low price of about 1,000 yen. Speakers are sold for between 3,000 yen and 5,000 yen.
Under the revised Road Traffic Law, people caught holding a cell phone -- whether to talk or look at the display -- while driving will be punished with fines of up to 50,000 yen.
Using a cell phone behind the wheel has been prohibited since Nov. 1, 1999. But in practice, few people have been caught because the law stipulated that it is punishable only when the police determined that the use of the phone "caused danger to traffic," such as a car accident. This latest regulation will enable police to charge drivers for simply holding their handsets.
Yamato Transport Co., a major parcel delivery firm, said it will install hands-free devices in all of its 34,000 home delivery trucks.
For the firm, which faces competition from state-run Japan Post, cell phones are one of the weapons they use to differentiate themselves from rivals.
The company said drivers can respond more quickly and flexibly if clients who receive delivery slips during their absence call them directly instead of calling dispatch centers.
Starting Monday, Yamato will distribute flyers telling customers that they can call their trucks directly for parcel pick-ups. Since drivers are assigned small areas, it will be easy to reply to pick-up calls on short notice.
But Yamato said the installment of hands-free gadgets does not mean it is encouraging phone use while driving.
"Our instructions to our drivers are to park their trucks when they pick up calls," said Masahisa Oba, Yamato spokesman. "Besides, our home delivery truck drivers do not spend as much time behind the wheel as you might imagine."
While auto accessory shops are happy with the latest boom, they said they are not promoting hands-free devices as a risk-free way to talk on the phone while driving.
Tomokazu Abe, a merchandiser at Yellow Hat Ltd., another operator of an accessory store chain, said: "First of all, drivers are advised not to use cell phones. Even with hands-free devices, cell phones divert their attention."
But Yellow Hat is also seeing a more than 10-fold year-on-year sales increase of hands-free products this month.
Meanwhile, at Super Autobacs Kawasaki, clerk Uchida said he suspects the hands-free boom will die out quickly if drivers find the ban is not aggressively enforced by traffic cops.
"The same thing happened to child safety seats," sales eventually dropped off, he said, referring to four years ago, when their use was mandated.
