Driving Tips > Safety Columns
Cellular Phones: Don't dial up distraction
Cellular phones can create a dangerous distraction on the road, or they can be a life-saver in an emergency. It’s all a matter of how you use them.
Let voice mail do your work
The safest choice is to turn your cellular phone off while driving. It’s worth the extra cost to let your calls go to voice mail and respond when you’re finished driving.
Let your passenger handle the call
If you’re expecting an important call and you’re driving with somebody else, let your passenger answer the phone, or switch places and let the other person drive.
Pull over, if you must answer the phone
Pull over to a safe place and stop before taking the call. Place your cellular phone where you can easily reach it.
Hands-free is not risk-free
The speaker phone feature and headsets allow you to keep both hands on the steering wheel, but they are not necessarily safe. Your conversation may still take your driving concentration away from the road.
Never dial and drive
Never take your eyes off the road to dial a number. Pull over to a safe place to make the call. Continue driving only after you have completed your call. Program frequently called numbers into your phone’s speed dial so you can make a call easily when you pull over.
For more information, watch The 60-Second Driver on CTV and check out the following sections on our website:
- Driver Distractions in Driving Tips
- You can access the 60-Second video on Driver Distractions directly
