Five Steps To Take Today To Curb Your Distracted Driving Behaviors Caused By Your Cellphone

We continue to review some tips and tricks to help you avoid the most common distracted driving behaviors during this National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  Distracted driving is one of the biggest things that has an impact on whether or not you will get into a New Haven auto accident when you’re driving around the Elm City.  There are other factors too, but distracted driving is way at the top of the list.

There are many things that constitute distracted driving from using your cell phone to cognitive distractions like talking to a passenger.  Each one of these behaviors come with its own dangers and difficulties.  Doing everything you can to avoid distractions of any kind will help you become a safer driver.  Here are some steps you can take today, before you even get behind the wheel that will help you skip any distractions while driving.

1. Turn off all notifications.  Whichever phone you’re using you can tell your phone to eliminate all notifications so your phone will not be dinging and vibrating while you’re driving.  These notifications are designed to be a distraction and in the car they will do just that if you let them.
2. Set up a “not available message.”  Many phones will allow you to create a message that will automatically be sent out to the caller or texter that will tell them that you’re driving and that you can’t respond right away.
3. Make playlists.  Music is one of the biggest distractions when driving in your car and if you use your phone to control your music you can very easily eliminate this distraction by creating a playlist, starting it before you set out, and not touching it the whole time you’re driving.
4. Get a cord long enough to charge your cellphone while it’s stowed.  One thing that happens is that we plug our phones in in the car, which requires them to still be out on the dashboard or the center console.  If your charging cable is long enough you can put your phone in the glove box and still charge it.
5. Lose the phone mount.  Mounting your phone can be tempting because it will allow you to see it more clearly, but that is one of the biggest problems.  Having a phone mount on your dashboard is almost guaranteeing that you will drive distracted.

Getting into a New Haven auto accident due to distracted driving is preventable.  You can take steps today before ever getting behind the wheel that will help eliminate distractions and lead to a safer ride.

You can’t control those driving around you, so even if you’ve eliminated your distractions there are others on the road who are driving distracted.  If you’ve been injured when driving due to someone else’s distracted driving behaviors, our attorneys may be able to help.  Contact our office and we will review your case.