These days, most people don t go anywhere without their cell phones including behind the wheel. But with states cracking down on gabbing drivers (more than half have banned text messaging while driving, and so far eight have outlawed the use of handsets, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association), a new cottage industry has sprung up, pitching drivers gadgets for communicating safely and legally. The latest tech for handling highway chatter:

Rather than fumbling around with a handset, some drivers have long been routing their calls through wireless Bluetooth devices. But a growing number of models in this $17 million market can now mount on a windshield or visor and recharge using sunlight; Iogear s Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit ($50), for one, promises talk time of up to 13 hours, which is twice as long as for the average model without a solar charge. But while some believe Bluetooth devices are safer than handsets, others think they still pose a dangerous distraction to drivers, says Vinnie Mirchandani, president of tech advisory firm Deal Architect.

Stop teen texters

Parents may cringe, but more than a third of teenagers say they have sent a text message while sitting in the driver s seat, according to the Pew Research Center. For $5 to $10 a month, concerned moms and dads can subscribe to software services, from Web sites like Getizup.com and tXtBlocker.com, that use GPS technology to block all incoming and outgoing texts, e-mails and calls once a car hits a predetermined speed, like, say, 12 miles per hour. Both programs do allow drivers to make emergency calls to 911, but neither works on all handsets yet.

Text out loud

Watching the road while looking at the phone can be a tricky task, which is why some drivers have turned to free apps that translate text into spoken word via Bluetooth or car audio systems. Aha Radio, which works only on the iPhone, provides audio updates from Twitter and Facebook feeds, as well as traffic reports from nearby commuters. DriveSafe.ly works on a variety of devices, including BlackBerry and Android phones, and reads text messages aloud including shorthand like LOL, text lingo for laugh out loud. Some users, though, have complained that the app doesn t always pronounce words correctly. (The company says the program will get better over time, as the firm corrects mispronunciations.)