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SALINAS, Calif. -- If you want to avoid getting pulled over by police, starting January 1st, you can text using a hands-free device. Keyword there: hands-free.
It may sound simple but CHP officer Robert Lehman said it seems to confuse people more than you would think.
"You cant be holding your phone, hands-free. Your hands have to be free and on the wheel," said Lehman.
That hands-free law has been around for talking on the phone, but as the law stands right now, you can't text, period.
However, Governor Brown signed an amendment to the ban on texting and driving giving drivers a hands-free texting option and its all thanks to smart-phone apps that allow users to send and receive text messages without typing.
The National Safety Council is trying to pump the brakes on that amendment. Saying any kind of distraction, handsfree or not, is dangerous. Officer Lehman said he can see the concern.
"When you're having that phone conversation you're thinking about that conversation, that's where your attention is going," said Lehman.
The safety council did not oppose the amendment while it went through legislative, now they are calling for California lawmakers to repeal it next month. The council said even if the laws are intended to reduce harm its still a distraction.
