Many individuals today have managed to incorporate their cell phones into their everyday routines. When driving to and from work, some may use their cell phones to stream music and even answer urgent emails. Cell phones are also used to order food and household products, pay bills, and complete other tasks that once had to be done using alternate methods. The truth is, while cell phones have made it much more convenient to get things done, they have also contributed to more roadway accidents which often result in injury or death.
In 2015, 391,000 injuries were caused in distracted driving-related accidents. Cell phones played a large role in causing many of these to occur [Source: Teen Safe].
One of the reasons why cell phones have become such an issue today is because many individuals are unable to disconnect themselves from their devices when they need to the most. For instance, when a person is driving, crossing a street, or walking through an area where traffic is permitted to travel through, cell phones should be out of sight, yet many have theirs right there in their hands. And because cell phones have become one of the top contributors to causing car crashes, we feel it is important to address the issue so fewer are likely to occur.
One of the ways to do this is to implement strategies that will help you distance yourself from using your cell phone as often as you do, especially while driving. Some strategies WebMD recommends you implement include:
- Turn Off Alerts. Although it is a struggle for many motorists to put their phones down, it is especially difficult to do when your phone is ringing and dinging from the constant notifications you receive. Therefore, it is best you don’t receive them at all, unless they are from your significant other or your child, to reduce the temptation to look at your phone.
- Create phone-free zones. Try taking your phone out of certain parts of your life such as when you are spending time with friends and family as well as when you are driving.
- Turn on the ‘Do Not Disturb’ setting on your phone. Certain phones come with the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature that allows you to stop calls from coming through at certain times of the day. For example, if you know you will be driving home from work from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., perhaps you might set your ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature to turn on at this time.
- Trade your smartphone for one that is less productive. If you have had one too many close calls while driving because you were using your phone or you simply cannot pull yourself away from using it in general, consider trading it in for a cell phone that can only call and text. As convenient as it may be to have so much right at your fingertips, sometimes it can consume you and interfere with different aspects of your life.
Some are other strategies WebMD recommends you can implement to help you to detach yourself from your cell phone so that you are less likely to have it in hand while driving include:
- Purchase an alarm clock. Rather than rely on your cell phone to wake you up, invest in an alarm clock so that you become less reliant on your phone. By breaking small habits here and there, you should find yourself slowly becoming less reliant on your phone, which, in turn, might keep it out of your hands more.
- Go cold turkey. Some experts recommend that you go without your phone for three days. By doing this, it can “help you kick bad phone habits and find new, healthier things to do instead.”
- Get rid of the apps you can’t stop using. If there are certain apps you turn to for entertainment, try deleting them for a while to reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone.
- Address expectations. If you are the type of person who responds immediately to a text or always answers a phone call, let your friends and family know you are trying to break your phone habit so don’t take it personally if you don’t answer right away.
Although many motorists today can recite why it is dangerous to use their cell phone while driving, they continue to use theirs which contributes to making our roadways more dangerous to drive on. Therefore, if you know someone who constantly reaches for their phone while operating their vehicle, consider sharing these tips in an effort to help them detach themselves from using their device so often.
Now, if you have been involved in a car crash with a distracted driver who was using their cellphone in Alexandria, LA and you are looking to hold them accountable for their careless behavior, contact the Alexandria car accident lawyers at The Downs Law Firm. We know firsthand how devastating a distracted driving accident can be as we have represented a number of victims who were also involved in a similar collision and will be happy to help you recover the compensation you are due for all the pain and suffering the wreck has caused. Contact us for more information.
You can reach The Downs Law Firm at:
Bastrop Office
4214 Sterlington Road
Monroe, LA 71203
318-284-8551
Monroe Office
4214 Hwy 165 N.
Monroe, LA 71203
318-284-8551