How to do your part to stop distracted driving

On Behalf of Johnston Law Offices P.C   |   Jul 25, 2018   |   Car Accidents ,

Sometimes it might seem like you have a million things going on all at once. Between work, family and friends there is constant activity all around you. With the rise of technology, all of this activity is immediately accessible, too.

While this time of accessibility and connectivity is good, it also presents potential dangers. Distracted driving is a large problem in today’s society and this is largely due to the digital age. Though you may be tempted to multitask while you drive, this can be extremely dangerous.

But it may be hard to turn yourself away from your phone with so much other activity going on in your life. Here are a few tips that can help you stay organized and connected, while keeping yourself and others safe on the road.

Be proactive

If you know you need to make a call or send a certain text, try to do that before you start the car. Let your friends know you are on the way right before you start driving and program your GPS before you shift out of park.

You can even set your phone to send designated auto-replies for when you are driving. This way, your friends and family will know you are otherwise occupied and not simply ignoring them.

Use others for help

If you have a call or important text conversation you know you need to have, ask a friend to drive. Or, if a time-sensitive message comes in while you are on the road, ask a passenger to open and reply to it for you.

Take away temptation

In some cases you may need to take away the temptation to text and drive completely. If necessary, lock your phone away in the trunk or put it in the back seat where you cannot see or reach it. If this is too extreme, you can put your phone on silent or do-not-disturb mode during drives, so you will not be distracted by incoming notifications.

Distracted driving is easy to avoid. Police officers are cracking down on distracted driving and there are new laws that make consequences of distracted driving even more severe. Ask yourself if it is worth the risk next time you get a notification while on the road.