Tips to Break the Habit of Using Your Phone While Driving

Due to the limited reaction time you have behind the wheel of a car, your safety and the safety of other drivers on the road has a lot to do with paying attention and being aware of your surroundings. Every single day, however, hundreds of auto accidents are caused by distracted drivers. The most common distraction is people looking at their phone instead of at the road. The longer you have been driving the more second nature the task becomes, resulting in the misguided notion that it is a very simple task that can be done with minimal attention and minimal brain power. Texting while you are driving is actually six times more likely to result in a collision than driving under the influence of alcohol. It makes sense then that getting rid of your phone while you are behind the wheel is a necessary step towards safe driving. If you have discovered that you have a difficult time staying off your cell phone while driving around town, here are some helpful tips to help you break that habit.

Put Your Phone Somewhere Out of Reach While You are Driving

Aside from those phone holders that suction onto your windshield and allow your phone to double as a GPS, the most common spot for a driver’s cell phone is typically in their cup holder. It’s nearby, easy to hear, and easy to reach. If you know that you are unable to resist the siren’s song of a text alert or unable to resist the urge to pick up your phone at a red light, then keep your phone somewhere that is difficult for you to reach from the driver’s seat. Maybe in your purse that you can zip close and then put in the back seat directly behind you or even in the trunk if you have to. As inconvenient as that might be, it’s better than the possible injuries or fatalities suffered by the car accident you caused because you just HAD to send that reply text.

Put Your Phone on Silent

Even better than simply putting your cell phone out of reach is putting it on silent mode altogether. That way you won’t even hear the alert telling you your favorite YouTuber has just uploaded a new video. A video that will still be there once you have safely reached your destination. The combination of putting your phone on Do Not Disturb mode and putting it well out of reach while you are behind the wheel would seriously cut down on the number of distracted driving accidents if drivers would start making it a regular habit.

Make a Driving Playlist

First of all making playlists is just fun, okay? Using your phone to try and open Spotify and select songs is no less dangerous than responding to a text or watching a video while you are driving. Having a  pre-made driving playlist ready to go means that you can plug in your aux cord and get your music going before you pull out of your driveway. Turn your ringer and notifications on silent and put the phone all the way over in the side pocket of the passenger door. Sorted.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident that was caused by distracted driving, you need to seek the counsel of a licensed, competent car accident attorney as soon as you possibly can. Here at the Los Angeles Injury Group, we can help you fight for the compensation for the lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering that you are entitled to under the law. Give us a call for a free consultation with an attorney at (310) 954-7248 today.