How to Stay Alive Behind the Wheel. Our Tip Sheet.
Hard to break the habit of responding to every little buzz, beep, vibration or ring tone from your phone? You’re not alone. Did you know that we’re neurologically programmed to respond to these sounds because we associate them with urgent news, good or bad? We just can’t stand to ignore them.
So if you’re one of the many who need help, we’re here with some tough-love suggestions on how to deal with your phone behind the wheel.
Put your phone out of reach.
You know you won’t be able to resist it, so we mean really out of reach. Avoid the temptation altogether by putting it somewhere completely inaccessible. The glove compartment is too close, and the backseat may be too tempting (you may be the kind of person willing to dislocate an arm trying to reach into the backseat for the phone). If we just described you, the trunk may be your best option.
Put your thumbs in straightjackets.
OK, we don’t mean literally, but your thumbs should both be on the wheel and off your phone.
Tell your friends that your cell phone battery died.
Your friends may want to know why you didn’t respond to their texts within your standard three seconds. You’ll have to come up with a good excuse. Pick one that works for you. Even better, tell them about your pledge and point them to this site.
When you’re driving friends, be the captain of the ship.
As hard as it is to resist the chatter, teasing and mayhem in the car with your friends, remember that you’ve got the most important job in the car: driving. They’re your friends. You love them. Love them enough to get them there safely.
Turn it down, tune it out, focus forward.
The radio may seem harmless, since there’s one in every car, but we’re here to tell you the bad news: when it’s too loud, you’re turning off one of your five senses, hearing. You’ll miss important stuff on the road, like someone’s warning honk.