By Lisa Ihde, Sprint

Business people are using wireless technology to manage their time like never before. It's a great competitive advantage to tell your customers that you're available anytime, anywhere. In our region, where gridlock is the norm, it's often necessary to stay in touch with customers in the office during long commutes.

There are many technologies available to the mobile professional who needs to stay productive - wireless camera phones, PDAs such as the Palm Pilot, and laptops with wireless connectivity. But there's one critical priority guiding how and when these technologies should be used in transit - safety. There are many things drivers do that take their attention off the road - changing a CD, putting on makeup, unwrapping a burger, or making a phone call. Here are some simple suggestions to help mobile professionals keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

Know your phone. Spend some time getting to know your phone and its features, so you can place and answer calls with a minimum of distraction.
Use a hands-free device. Over the past year or two, availability and options have increased for these devices, which include ear mikes, headsets, and dashboard-mounted speakerphones. Most of them are inexpensive and easy to use, and they are very effective at reducing driver distraction. For people who frequently talk while driving, there is no excuse not to use a hands-free device.
Take advantage of built-in safety features such as speed dial and one-touch redial, and use services such as a voice command, which lets your voice do the dialing.

Position your phone within easy reach. You can travel hundreds of feet in the time it takes to look down to find an item in your car, so keep your phone in a readily accessible position. Also, refrain from taking notes or looking up phone numbers while driving.

Assess traffic conditions and dial sensibly. In challenging conditions, most drivers cut back on their conversation with passengers to pay closer attention to the road. Do the same when on the phone. Similarly, if you don't have a voice dial service, place most of your calls when your vehicle is not moving.

The latest census found that Maryland workers average over an hour on their daily commute. Add to that the time spent driving between appointments, and that's a lot of time to make work-related calls or catch up with family or friends. With a little planning and common sense, you can use your wireless phone to take advantage of time in transit while keeping safety your top priority.

(Editor's note: One other important option is to pull your car over when you are fully engaged in a phone conversation, because unlike other "in car" activities, phone conversations take more focus. And if you are traveling you should know where talking while driving is not allowed.)

Lisa Ihde is a senior manager of communications for Sprint in the Northeast Region. EIhde01@sprintspectrum.com