- Remember: Silence is golden. Before you start the ignition, put your phone on silent mode and make sure it’s not on vibrate. Another option: turn your phone off altogether. Both options will eliminate the temptation to check your screen every time it rings, pings or buzzes.
- Hang up your “do not disturb” sign. Well, figuratively anyway. On most smartphones, you have the option to turn on some form of a do not disturb mode while you’re driving. Do your research to find out how to enable this on your phone. There are even apps you can download to block texts while you’re behind the wheel, including ones specifically geared toward teen drivers.
- Make it out of sight, out of mind. Rather than having your phone in your cup holder, your center console, or (cringe) your hand, put it in a spot where you can’t see or reach it.
- Ask for help. If you have a passenger or two with you, ask them to keep an eye on your phone and handle any calls or messages you receive. If you’re a passenger rather than a driver, volunteer for the job ‒ and call out the driver if they’re being unsafe.
- Put it in park. If it’s absolutely vital to respond to a message, find a place to safely pull over, then park and answer.
- Model safe behavior. Talk to your kids about the dangers of texting and driving, explain the ways they can avoid it, then put your money where your mouth is.
- Set and enforce rules. If you have a teen driver in the house, make your expectations clear about how they’re allowed to use their phone in the vehicle and be very specific about what will happen if they break those rules. If you catch your teen doing it, enforce those consequences ‒ every time.
- Enroll in our new YourTurn® program.1 Need an extra incentive? Our driving safety app, YourTurn, is available to ERIE customers. The app measures criteria such as speeding, hard braking and phone usage – and you can earn rewards based on your driving score (up to $5 or $10 every two weeks)2. This helps to make drivers of all ages more aware of their driving behaviors and identifies areas for improvement.
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