A law to curb cell phone use while driving in California takes effect next week. It’s common sense that cell phones distract you from concentrating on driving. Over the weekend, I had a conversation with someone who asked me if I think headsets actually make a difference. His argument was that you’re just as out of touch with what’s going on around you if you’re talking on the phone, regardless if you’re holding it or not.

My initial, quick response to the man was yes, it’s much different. I told him that even though I’m still talking, I have both hands free and I’m not focusing on holding the phone to my head. After deliberation, I rescind my answer. No matter the medium for a cell phone conversation, I found that you’re still pretty distracted. An Australian study in 2005 proved that there is no safety advantage associated with using hands-free devices. The study looked at call logs for cell phone users at the time of traffic accidents to find their result. This proves that cell phone use is distracting and dangerous even while using the devices experts recommend you use.