Driving Tips > Safety Columns
Don't get distracted by your cellphone
Cellphones 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.
When you're driving, the safest thing to do is turn off your cellphone. If you must make or receive calls while driving, here's how you can stay within the law and avoid a $200 fine:
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 calls go to voicemail.
- Have a passenger answer the call.
- Don't text while driving.
- Use a hands-free device.
In a study conducted by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute,
distracted drivers were shown to be a cause in 80 per cent of
collisions. Hand-held cellphones and PDAs were associated with
the highest frequency of distraction-related collisions:
- Drivers who talk on cellphones are four times more likely to get into a collision.
- Drivers who text while driving are 23 times more likely to get into a collision.
- Using a cellphone while driving reduces your attention and concentration by 37 per cent.
- Drivers who are texting spend nearly five seconds looking at their cellphones – enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.
For more information, watch The 60-Second Driver on CTV.
