Here is what you can do to avoid distractions while driving:
- Drive carefully and responsibly. Concentrate on the road, not on the conversations around you, the music that is playing, or the friend calling on your cell phone.
- The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that beginner drivers should be prohibited from driving between certain times, specifically midnight to 5 a.m.
- Limit the number of people in the car. The NTSB recommends that young, novice drivers with provisional (intermediate) licenses should have passenger restrictions. Unless accompanied by a supervising adult driver who is at least 21 years old, provisional licensees should be prohibited from carrying more than one passenger under the age of 20 until they receive an unrestricted license or for at least 6 months (whichever is longer).
- Make adjustments to vehicle controls – such as radios, air conditioning, or mirrors – before beginning to drive or after the car is no longer in motion.
- Don’t reach down or behind the driver’s seat, pick up items from the floor, open the glove compartment, clean the inside windows, or perform personal grooming while driving.
- Put your cell phone away while driving. Let your wireless network voice mail pick up your calls when you are driving and answer text messages after you stop.
- Be a “Cellular Samaritan.” Stop your vehicle and use your cell phone to report crime, emergencies, accidents, or dangerous driving situations. In many places, dialing 911 is free. (Dialing 911 from a cell phone usually reaches state police, so be sure about your location when you call.)
- If you have to use your phone while driving, pull off the road, stop, and then dial.
- Get to know your phone and its features, which include speed dial and redial.
source: sadd.org