April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and AAA Michigan wants to remind drivers to put away the cell phone, get back to the basics, and just drive.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 3,100 people were killed and 431,000 were injured in car accidents due to distracted driving in 2014.
Distracted driving is mostly due to cell phones. Distractions like texting endanger not only the lives of drivers, but also passengers, pedestrians, and anyone else that shares the road.
In order to prevent the use of cell phones while driving, Michigan AAA has five tips to keep drivers and others safe on the roads:
- Silence your cell phone: Take away the distraction of checking your phone by turning off the sound. This will prevent the temptation to check it every time you hear a notification sound.
- Ask for help: If you really need to answer the phone or respond to a text, ask for help from your passengers. They can handle tasks like texting, making a phone call, or putting a location into the GPS.
- Concentrate on your drive: Tell your family and friends not to try and contact you during your commute hours.
- Put your phone in the glove box or trunk: Keep the phone out of sight so there isn't temptation to text or call while driving. Make sure you're completely pulled over or have reached your destination safely before pulling out your phone.
- Download a safety app: Many mobile safety apps can help discourage texting while driving. Some can even temporarily disable call and text abilities.
For more information on how to stay safe on the road and prevent distracted driving, visit Michigan.AAA.com.
