Safe Driving on the Road

Personally, I do not look at my phone while I’m driving unless it is used for getting directions. One of the ways to reduce looking at your phone altogether while driving is to turn it off. This way you will not hear any text or social media alerts while driving. You will also not see the screen light up when you receive a new text. If you don’t see any texts you will not be tempted to look at them and cause a serious accident while driving. Once you are finished driving you can proceed to turn your phone back on. Another good way to eliminate the use of your phone while driving is to put your phone in a place where you cannot reach it. When you hide your phone you will not be tempted to sneak a peak at it while driving. Some of the places you can put your phone include the glove box, trunk, behind the seat, or in your console. Another way to eliminate texting while driving is to turn your phone on silent. If you do this and turn your phone face down you can’t see or hear any notification. Furthermore, you can check all of your texts before driving which will in turn give you ample time to drive and not worry about any notifications. If you are driving with a friend, you can have them text for you. This allows you to focus on driving while also being able to respond to messages. If the text or social media alert is urgent and you do not have a friend accompanying you, then you can pull over to the side of the road when it is safe to respond and proceed to driving again. If you are a parent, then you can be the one to set a good example for your teen and follow the rules stated above. If you are a parent and text while driving then you are giving your child a reason to do the same when they reach the age to drive by themselves. There are apps both on the Apple Store and Google Play store that lock your phone while driving and can be very effective. A study conducted stated that texting or using social media while driving can be three times more dangerous as someone who is driving while intoxicated. A study also showed that the reaction time for someone who is using their phone while driving is slowed by 38% as opposed to 12% for someone who is drinking. Teens are becoming exposed to these unsafe habits because they are growing up in a society where technology is all around them. Whether it be texting a friend or taking a picture of a sunset on your drive home you should not be on your phone while driving. The likelihood for injuring someone else or yourself are very high if you are on your phone while driving. The consequences are not worth it and can be easily prevented if you follow the information stated above.