Most kids who are of the legal driving age have grown up around technology, we don't know life without it. We have become so connected to our phones and other devices that it has become hard to put them down for a 15 minute car ride. We might feel the need to change the song, text or call our friend or family member back, or just scroll through social media while we are bored at a red light. In reality those situations are all wants and our safety should be our top priority. I think the best way to fix the distractions of phones comes from the support of our parents. Parents/legal guardians need to display safe driving habits, like hands free driving. If children grow up/learn to drive while seeing their parents stay off their phones, there is more of a chance these kids will do the same. Parents can also add apps or shortcuts on their children's phones which set them to "do not disturb" while their kids are driving.
Another way to ignore distractions, like phones or social media, when driving is to take personal responsibility. As a young driver you can educate yourself on the dangers of driving while distracted. Most people who have been driving for a while have a story about how they let themselves get distracted and then that led to them endangering either themselves or someone else. That could mean they were in a crash, swerved into another lane, ran a red light or stop signs, forgot to yield, etc. All of these things put lives at risk and you don’t want to be responsible for the death or injury of someone else. If you become more aware of how often and easily accidents can happen you will want to drive safer to protect both yourself and any beloved family and/or friends you drive around. Knowing the risks allows young drivers to take some responsibility and become better drivers.
If you find yourself getting distracted on your phone there are few things you can try to help limit the use of your phone while driving. The first thing is try putting your phone in the glove compartment or center console so it is totally out of your sight and reach while you are driving. If this makes you uncomfortable in case of an emergency try placing it on the passenger seat face down or in a bag. If you have someone sitting in the passenger seat next to you, ask them to hold your phone and control the music and/or text or call people back who are trying to contact you. Another way to stay off your phone is just practice. If you find you have been looking at your phone more recently while driving just practice good driving habits. Everytime you realize your phone is in your hand, set it down and remind yourself of the danger you are putting yourself and other drivers in. If you do this enough you should start to get rid of the bad habits and acquire some new good habits in the meantime.
Nowadays cars have a lot of technology in them. Utilizing those technologies can help you stay off your phone while driving. Things like hands free navigation systems help you not look at the map on your phone but rather the one right on the dashboard. The screen on the dashboard is bigger which allows you to see more so you don’t need to try and zoom in on the smaller phone screen. You can also use hands free calling which is where calls from your phone can be answered by the push of a button on your steering wheel. This allows drivers to talk on the phone while in their car without having to take their eyes off the road at all. Buttons on the steering wheel can also be used to control the music and volume of the speakers in the car.
If a situation/emergency does arise and you really need to use your phone the safest course of action is to pull over. Don’t endanger yourself and other drivers by going on your phone. Find a safe space to pull over and make sure your car is fully stopped and in park before you touch your phone. Remember that your life is worth more than a phone call or text will ever be. Being a safe driver isn’t just about you, it's about the other people on the road or the people you are driving around. Being a safe driver is a choice and one you should take steps everyday to make.