Attention motorists on the East Coast: If you pass through New Jersey or the District of Columbia, please note that both jurisdictions have implemented new laws that require drivers to use handsfree devices when speaking on a mobile phone. The laws took effect today, July 1, 2004.

According to The Star-Ledger, drivers in New Jersey cannot be stopped solely for violating the new law. But fines range from $100 to $250 if the driver is stopped for another violation and found to be using a mobile phone without a headset or speakerphone.

The Washington Post said that police in the District of Columbia will issue warnings from now until July 31. On August 1, police may stop and cite drivers without evidence of any other violation, and the fine will be $100 for each offense. New York State enacted a similar law three years ago and has reportedly written 270,000 tickets for mobile phone violations.

Earpieces and headsets are available for most mobile phones from resellers like Amazon.com. Many mobile phones that are not compatible with the Bluetooth wireless personal network standard have 2.5-millimeter earphone jacks which support a wide variety of headsets.

My personal preference is for the Nokia HDC-5 headset which is available at local stores operated by mobile phone carriers, or the Jabra EarBud for phones with Universal 2.5mm Jacks. These units are very small, the ear pieces fit well in most people's ears, the microphones are built-into the connector cable. The microphones on both headsets use adequate noise-cancelling technology.

The best part of both of these headsets is that they are inexpensive. Every mobile phone headset device I have ever owned has failed within 6 to 12 months. So, my advice is to buy the least expensive wired headset you can, provided it has a good earpiece and picks up limited road noise.

If you choose a Bluetooth headset, my recommendation is to read reviews that talk about the specific combination of your phone and the headset that you are considering. Then, buy the best combination of price and performance.