Say no to distracted driving

Cell phone use has become part of the culture we live in, but no phone call or text is worth a life. Using a cell phone while driving – hands-free or handheld – is a dangerous activity. You can miss seeing up to 50 percent of the roadway environment when you are driving and talking on a cell phone. The following are steps to take to help break the habit of using a cell phone while driving:

• Schedule calls for times when you are not driving.
• Let people know not to call you when you are driving.
• Plan your day in advance so you won’t need to make a call while commuting.
• Change your voicemail to a message stating that if you didn’t answer, you are either busy or driving and will call back.
• If a ringing phone is too tempting, silence your phone before you drive, or place it in the trunk or glove box.
• Consider using call-blocking technology when driving.
• Remember that hands-free devices do not make you safer, as they do not reduce cognitive distraction in the brain.