HANG UP AND DRIVE! NEW LAWS MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO DRIVE WHILE YAKKING ON A HANDHELD PHONE.(law of phone while driving)(Cellular telephone equipment industry's innovative handsets)

Byline: MARK VAUGHN

State laws are slowly catching up with good sense. On July 1, California and Washington will join Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands (yes, even the U.S. Virgin Islands!) in banning the use of handheld mobile phones while driving. More states will surely follow. It seems crazy that these laws are only now getting on the books, but remember that the first state seatbelt law wasn't enacted until 1985.

The best way to comply with the new laws is to turn off your phone while driving. Or, at least, don't answer it.

If you must talk and drive, the cheapest way to be compliant is to get a wired earpiece from your local and ubiquitous cell-phone store or any one of about a billion websites. Price: $1.99.

But why go cheap when you can spend a lot of money, go wireless and attach a fashion-statement zygote to your ear? Other units clip to the sun visor. One device we looked at offers both options. Prices are all over the map. Internet research will give you the latest ticket. All of them cost less than $100.

Even if your state doesn't require it, you should get a hands-free unit if you insist on using a phone while driving. We got a big pile of them and connected them to our editorial ears. Here are some for you to consider.

Aliph Jawbone 2