Driving with the wind blowing through your hair and cell phone glued to your ear may soon be a thing of the past in Massachusetts. The lower house passed legislation last month that would require drivers to use hands-free technology while making voice calls, and texting while operating a vehicle would be banned. The bill was approved on a 107 to 47 vote and would authorize police to pull over drivers that are in violation, costing first-time adult offenders $100, according to The Associated Press. Drivers have plenty of options available when it comes to hands-free technology. Millions of phones have jacks for a headset, and wired headsets can be found for $10 or fewer. Bluetooth, a short-range radio networking technology, is featured on millions of phones as well. These phones work with headsets ranging from $25 and up. Bluetooth technology allows a phone to communicate with hands-free systems installed in the car. Almost every car made by Ford Motor Co. can be purchased with Sync, a $400 option that allows drivers to control their Bluetooth phones by voice commands. Some people feel existing laws are good enough, and the proposed legislature banning handheld cellular phones may infringe on citizens’ rights. “There is the subject of the driver’s freedom of liberty verses public safety and also what can really be enforced by the police,” said Jane Fountain, director of the Center for Public Policy and Professor of Political Science. However, people recognize that the danger of chatting on the phone and driving exists. “The fact remains, using a cell phone while driving is terribly distracting and can cause fatalities,” said Fountain. Victor Szeto, a junior at the University of Massachusetts, said he would feel more comfortable using Bluetooth and knowing other drivers do the same. “It would be one less distraction on the road,” said Szeto. For drivers with older model vehicles, there are numerous aftermarket accessories that can add Bluetooth hands-free features to their cars. This is where the hands-free bill will begin to cost people some money. Older car owners can buy Bluetooth speaker phones that can clip to the sun visor for roughly $140. There also are devices on the market – such as the TomTom GO 720 – that double as both a portable global positioning system and Bluetooth hands-free sets. The average Tom-Tom costs $450. The hands-free bill may not survive the gauntlet through the Massachusetts Senate. It faces opposition from key legislators and does not have unanimous support among Massachusetts residents. If the bill were to be enacted, it would make Massachusetts the sixth state to mandate the use of hands-free phones while driving. There are many statistical studies that argue that the use of the hands-free devices prevents accidents, and just as many claim evidence to the contrary. Drivers are slower to react to red lights when using devices such as Bluetooth, the studies reported.