A study commissioned by IMS Inc, the makers of the hands free iLane device, has found that 32% of Americans and 23% of Canadians surveyed claim that it is important to their balance between work and home life to be able to access text messages, phones, and email while driving. Pressure from the boss is cited as the reason for reading email while driving by 21% of Americans and 24% of Canadians.

To help these people safely access email and text messages while driving the iLane is now available in North America. The device interacts directly with your smartphone and lets you manage your inbox with voice commands. It will read voice mail aloud and can be used to manage incoming phone calls, SMs messages, and calendars. iLane retails for $599 and a service plan needed to operate is $7.99 per month. The device is only compatible with the BlackBerry 8000 series of handsets.

"Whatever their reasons might be, this study shows that commuters are beginning to consider in-car connectivity a basic need," said Tony Cassetta, Chief Operating Officer, IMS. "These attitudes combined with increasing pressures to stay connected are not likely to disappear, so it's important for commuters to know that there is an alternative to accessing their devices while on the road."

Via iLane