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Technology for going hands-free on the highway

There's growing support at the State Capitol for switching to a hands-free only system for driving with cell phones. Even if your car isn't equipped for that, there's technology you can add to the equation.

MINNEAPOLIS -- There's growing support at the State Capitol for switching to a hands-free-only system for driving with cell phones. Even if your car isn't equipped for that, there's technology you can add to the equation.

Most safety advocates warn against making calls or accepting calls while driving, but those supporting the hands-free restriction assert it's an important first step toward getting people to stow their devices while they're on the road.

Minnesota law doesn't allow motorists to drive while wearing headphones, so most motorists will need to rely to systems that allow them to listen to callers through their car speakers and, even better, speak to them through a microphone that's independent of the mic on their cell phone.

There's a wide range of aftermarket car radios that incorporate hands-free options and can be integrated with your phone via Bluetooth technology or auxiliary cables, and allow you to safely put your phone away.

"Depending on the year, make and model of your vehicle there are a lot of different options you can go with," Chris Crumpton of Best Buy in Minnetonka told us.

"First would be completely replacing the radio with one that would have hands-free or Bluetooth calling. Another option would be a device we can integrate into the back of the radio if you don’t want to take apart your dash."

Some of the new radios simply mirror your handheld device, while others can work in conjunction with mobile apps. The higher end models often combine the smart radio with a navigation device.

There's also a Garmin Bluetooth device that can be installed high on your windshield and hardwired to your existing radio. The higher end model of that includes a forward facing dash camera.

"The Garmin is actually powered by the Amazon Alexa, so again enabling you to talk to your phone and make calls and tell it to send text messages without physically having to have our phone in your hand," Crumpton same.

"As long as your Bluetooth is on, on your phone, it will automatically reconnect itself. You don’t have to get in the car, reconnect to your phone and then drive."

The lowest cost options are devices that plug into the cassette tape holder in older cars, to connect to the phone with an auxiliary cable. Those devices allow you to hear conversations through speakers, as well as music on your device, but they rely on the smart phone's microphone.

But even that option achieves the goal of keeping your hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road.

And you don't have to wait for the legislature to restrict phones to hands-free mode to make changes.

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