Ready or not, hands-free is here

It’s here — time to put your phone down while driving.

Starting Thursday, all cellphone use by motorists in Minnesota has to be hands-free.

This comes after years of attempts to get the Minnesota Legislature to pass such a law. There are exceptions for emergencies, but a provision known as the “one tap” rule asks drivers to keep both hands on the wheel and to restrict actions like entering an address in a maps app to times when the car isn’t in motion.

There are still many questions about how it all works and what is against the law.

Traffic safety director Michael Hanson for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and Vijay Dixit, whose daughter died at the hands of a distracted driver, joined Angela Davis to talk about the new law, what is allowed, and how to keep Minnesotans safe while driving.

Use the audio player above to listen to the program.

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