5 Tips for curbing the habit of distracted driving
Texts, phone calls, emails, media players and GPS apps—smartphones have no shortage of potential distractions for drivers. When those behind the wheel use their phones, they put their lives and the lives of everyone else on the road in danger. It’s therefore no surprise that texting and driving—and other phone-related distractions—are one of the main causes of injury and death on the roads. At Auto Value, we take your safety to heart. Here we provide you with some helpful tips to avoid being distracted by your device while you’re en route.
1. Adjust your phone’s settings
It’s likely that your smartphone has a feature that lets people trying to contact you know that you’re driving. Using this “do not disturb” feature will also silence both ringing and text notifications.
2. Prepare music playlists beforehand
It’s never a good idea to “DJ” while behind the wheel. Manually scrolling for songs while driving makes you significantly less attentive and can thereby incite an accident. Instead, make a playlist of your favourite songs in advance and simply let it play.
3. Use Bluetooth—but prudently
Desperate to make a call, to listen to messages on your voicemail or to play a song? Bluetooth technology allows you to do this without ever having to touch or look at your device. However, know that using a voice-command system is a “tolerated” driving distraction: be careful not to abuse it.
4. Map your route in advance
Although extremely useful, your phone’s GPS function is a driving distraction. It becomes especially dangerous when drivers adjust their route while driving, or when their device isn’t mounted on the dashboard or fixed to the windshield. Always pull over to a safe location if you need to adjust your route, and make sure you have all the appropriate equipment to safely use your GPS.
5. Keep your phone out of reach
Are you someone who’s always going to be tempted to answer the phone, send texts or read emails while driving? If this is an issue for you, before you venture out onto the road, put your phone somewhere where you won’t be able to get at it (such as in the trunk).
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