With the cost of petrol increasing and the price of insurance skyrocketing, not too many people can afford to wreck their car. One of the easiest ways for you to make sure that you don’t wind up in any fender benders (or worse) is to keep both hands on the wheel and not play around with that shiny new 3G iPhone of yours. In fact, in many places you can be given a citation for driving while talking on your cell phone. This may explain why you see so many people seemingly talking to themselves as you wait at that red light, nowadays.

No, they’re not crazy (well, a couple might be), they’re probably early adopters of kits like the Parrot CK3100. What is the CK3100? Well, it’s a device that allows you to make and receive calls without ever so much as looking at your cell phone. The large display screen shows you who is calling, and allows you to flip through your phone book with the center knob. If you want to make a call, scroll through your contact list with the center knob, press the ‘Dial’ button and you’re set. When you take a call, your radio is immediately muted and the person’s voice comes through with digital quality through your stereo speakers.

The best feature with the Parrot CK3100 is the ability to pair up multiple bluetooth devices with it. So, if you own an iPhone and your spouse owns a Blackberry Pearl, the reader will be able to detect both devices and will allow easy use of either phone.

It’s not cheap, though. The kit alone costs about £85, and that doesn’t include installation costs. But, when you consider the alternatives to smashing your car because you were on the phone, the costs are very marginal.