One of the best ways to remain safe while driving is to rid yourself of all distractions. This means turn the music down, keep passengers quiet and most importantly, keep your eyes on the road. Mobile technology has made that difficult by giving us reasons to direct our attention elsewhere while driving. It could be a text message, a notification or even worse, a phone call. These things are very tempting to check while driving, but there are some ways to avoid that distraction. Some laws are bizarre, but it’s bizarre that some of these tips aren’t mandatory.
Here are 5 ways to reduce distracted driving.
Power Down
The most obvious way to avoid cell phone distractions is to just turn it off. You won’t hear any notifications come in, thus allowing you to focus on the road.
“I’m Driving”
Change your voicemail outgoing message to reflect that you didn’t answer because you’re busy. While some think voicemails are on their way out, they are still the best way to know you missed a call while your device was turned off. You can even say something like, “I can’t come to the phone at the moment, I am either busy or driving…”
Pull Over to Pick Up
If you feel like you can’t turn off your devices due to possible emergencies, at the very least pull off to the side of the road. When you hear your phone ring or notify you of a text, ignore it until you can safely get to the side of the road. Put your car in park, and then answer the call or read and respond to the text/email.
Listen Don’t Watch
If you’re using your device as a navigation device or have a navigation device, change the settings. Make sure that your navigation system can tell you where to go rather than just show you. Then listen to the directions instead of constantly looking at your device.
Don’t Be a D.J.
Our devices can also be a music player, and that’s a great function. Still, set your playlist, or album that you want to play BEFORE getting in the car. This way you can just plug and play when you start your drive.
While there are numerous other things to consider while driving, staying safe is the most important. These distractions can include your devices, eating, grooming or trying to grab something from elsewhere in the car. All of these things shouldn’t be occurring when behind the wheel. You can even take a pledge, and get your friends and family to do the same.
