While phones are greatly beneficial to many people’s daily lives, they are not without their drawbacks. One of the biggest dangers on the road is distracted driving from phone use. When a driver is distracted by their phone, they have less time to react to obstacles.
Drivers who wish to practice safe driving and reduce phone distraction may benefit from reading the following:
Put your phone away
Drivers may be less inclined to use their phones when it’s out of reach. Some easy places you can put your phone away may include a purse, backpack or glovebox. If you still find yourself reaching for your phone despite tucking it out of sight, try sticking it in the trunk.
Give your phone to a passenger
Maybe you’re desperately waiting on a phone call about something important or worried about a family member. In those situations, you still should not answer your phone while driving — but you can hand your phone to a passenger and ask them to answer on your behalf.
Turn your phone to “silent mode”
Most phones have silent modes. Silent mode reduces notifications from calls and texts. If your phone doesn’t have a silent mode, you can reduce the volume until the phone is set on vibrate. Some phones will even automatically turn on silent mode when it detects a car in motion — so make use of that feature.
Turn your phone completely off
If you are still struggling to not use your phone while driving, you may consider turning it off. The phone should still get calls and texts, but you won’t be notified until the phone is turned back on.
Drivers who can reduce distractions can make the roads safer, but they can’t prevent other drivers from causing accidents. Victims of auto accidents may need to learn what they can do if they need compensation for medical bills, funeral costs and vehicle repairs.