"Hands Free" Law Goes Into Effect

While making any sort of call while driving is dangerous, dialing into a conference call from the road is asking for trouble.

Will California Obey Spirit or Letter of the Law? Headsets Only the Beginning in Aligning "Productivity" and "Safety" While Driving

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - (GAWKWIRE) - As most California residents well know, the "Hands Free Law" goes into effect across the state on July 1. As of today, if you talk on your cell phone without a headset while driving in California, you can be pulled over and ticketed.

While the law begins to address the problem of keeping hands on the wheel, surprisingly, dialing and texting are still legal under this new California law. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, "the new law does not prohibit dialing, but drivers are strongly urged not to dial while driving."

Using a headset religiously will keep you within the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law is clearly telling us to get serious about safety while behind the wheel. In that sense, headsets are really just the beginning.

While making any sort of call while driving is dangerous, dialing into a conference call from the road is asking for trouble. A conference call -- with lengthy dial in numbers and convoluted passcodes -- is one of the most difficult calls to make, especially while navigating stop and go traffic on the highway.