This is a sponsored post brought to you by AT&T – It Can Wait and Distracted Driving
Our daughter waited anxiously until she turned 13 to be able to sit in the front seat of the car. She had been asking to sit in the front seat ever since she became a tween. But for safety purposes, I learned that kids under 13 should remain in the back seat of the car. And so after her 13th birthday, she happily took her place in the passenger seat next to me (leaving her two younger sisters behind in the back seat.)
For the most part, I love having her in the front seat next to me. And I only have concerns about a few things, like why won’t she keep her hands off of my radio. Now that she is sitting in the front seat, I can’t listen to my favorite songs. Or worse than that, she turns the station while I am singing a song I like. When a song gets me to the point where I am singing out loud, I am really feeling it. And that’s exactly when she decides to take her skinny little fingers and change the station.
But on a more serious note, I am also concerned about her safety. Even though she is 13, is it still safe for her to sit in the front seat. Will the airbag hurt her if it deploys. Or worse than that, will any of my actions harm her?
She is sitting in that seat and she is watching me. She sees if I am speeding and she watches to see if I am distracted by the cellphone or with her siblings in the back seat. Now, more than ever, I need to make sure that I am setting a proper example for my daughter to follow. Because in 3 short years, she will be behind the wheel and she could be emulating my bad driving habits or my good driving habits. I’d prefer the latter.
As a part of their It Can Wait campaign, AT&T just released a very sobering survey about Smartphone use while driving to help drive awareness of the dangers of smartphone use behind the wheel, and to encourage life-saving behavior change.
“When we launched It Can Wait five years ago, we pleaded with people to realize that no text is worth a life,” said Lori Lee, AT&T’s global marketing officer. “The same applies to other smartphone activities that people are doing while driving. For the sake of you and those around you, please keep your eyes on the road, not on your phone.”
According to the survey, Smartphone activities people say they do while driving include:
- Text (61%)
- Email (33%)
- Surf the net (28%)
- Facebook (27%)
- Snap a selfie/photo (17%)
- Twitter (14%)
- Instagram (14%)
- Shoot a video (12%)
- Snapchat (11%)
- Video chat (10%)
Other unsettling findings include:
- 62% keep their smartphones within easy reach while driving.4
- 30% of people who post to Twitter while driving do it “all the time.”
- 22% who access social networks while driving cite addiction as a reason.
- Of those who shoot videos behind the wheel, 27% think they can do it safely while driving.
(Research commissioned by AT&T and conducted by Braun Research. Polled 2,067 people in the U.S. aged 16-65 who use their smartphone and drive at least once a day. Additional information available here.)
Wow, what’s so important on those phones that we are willing to risk the lives of our loved ones and others to see? When I read the survey, it reminded me to get more serious about eliminating my smartphone use while I am driving. My biggest culprits are texts and emails. No text or email is worth a life!
In order to spread the word and raise awareness of the dangers of smartphone use behind the wheel, I’ve partnered with AT&T to bring you this awesome giveaway. And each time you enter to win and share this giveaway on social media, you are not only increasing your odds of winning, but you are also helping to spread the word.
Prize Description:
One lucky winner will win an It Can Wait Swag Bag (valued at $1000.) The contents of the bag will include:
- A Samsung Galaxy S6,
- a phone case,
- a Beats by Dre Pill,
- a selfie stick,
- ICW stickers,
- a tee and thumb rings.
- This will all come in a fun tote.
How to Enter:
Follow the instructions below. There is one mandatory step to enter. All others are optional and give you additional chances to win. Please be sure to read the terms and conditions as this giveaway is for US residents only that are 18 years or older.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post is brought to you by AT&T. I have partnered with them to spread the word about It Can Wait and Distracted Driving . All opinions are my own.
While I do keep my phone in a holder on my dash when I drive, I ignore it until I’m stopped somewhere. I like to know when I get calls but I don’t answer them while driving. Always pull to the side of the road or get off the highway and park in a proper place before using your phone for anything. The only way I use my phone while driving is when I’m using GPS directions. Even then I try to only listen for the directions than looking at the map.
I keep my phone in my purse, and not accessible while driving.
My tip is to leave my cell phone in my purse and not take it out until I get to my destination.
One thing I do to avoid smartphone-related distracted driving is turn of my smartphone and store it in my glove box. This is a full proof way for me because I cannot reach the glove box, so, I have to pull over and park to get my phone. 🙂
Turn my cellphone on silent and way from me.
I always put my purse in the backseat to avoid distractions. I wish more drivers would just get rid of the temptation to pick up their phones and just drive!!
I do not use a phone while driving-no calls made or answered and no texting.
Turn off your cell phone/pager/dvd player/other device. The best way to avoid being distracted by your phone or device is simply to turn it off and put it away while you are behind the wheel.
no texting. if I have to make a call, I try to do it when stopped.
Phones should be turned off or muted and stored in a purse or pocket while driving. Even though it is possible to text by dictating into a phone, a driver still is distracted when reading texts or making calls. I remember when phones had cords, and we couldn’t communicate unless we were in our house! If we could manage then, our kids can manage without a phone for a few minutes now!
My phone is in my purse in the back seat when I am driving so that I do not even have the temptation to pick it up.
I leave my phone in my handbag, I don’t answer it at all when I’m driving. It can wait.
I would rather give my phone to my husband than text and drive with my boys in the car.
I dont have a smart phone.. problem solved
no phone while driving
hands free device along with just waiting until i am stopped.
Gl everyone
I turn my phone on silent while i am driving.
I only use hands free and my new car has a feature that reads out new texts
I put my phone in my purse and sit it on the backseat so I won’t be tempted to pick it up.
I leave my phone in my purse and the majority of my friends and family know that I do not text or talk on the phone while driving.
get a voice system for calls and never text and drive
The easiest way I have found is to turn off my phone the minute I get behind the wheel. It’s a practice for my entire family.
There needs to be a feature/app you can switch on so when someone texts you it sends them a text back that you’re currently driving. I leave my phone buried in my purse so that I don’t meddle with it on the road.
Turn on blocking/silent mode on your phone. Leave your phone away reach.
I keep my phone in my purse and don’t even listen to music because I want to hear any sirens or horns but I am old as well so I am not tempted as much to use current devices.
Pull over if you must use the phone!
Keep your phone in a purse or backpack or in the glove compartment so you’re not tempted to use it while driving.
My tip==keep it in the back away from me so there is no temptation.
I keep it tucked in my purse on the seat, on the floor, or just a little far away. And to keep from touching it, I try not to think about it with some music.
I keep my phone in its case in my purse, and the radio up 🙂
Keep the phone on in the dash where it is not reachable
I keep my phone in my purse
The only tip I can give is to turn the mobile devices OFF when you get into the car! Plain & Simple!!
I turn my phone on silent in the car. Nothing is that serious that it can’t wait until I’m stuck at a light, or I get to my destination and take a glance at it in case of an emergency.
I avoid avoid smartphone-related distracted driving by putting my purse which has my phone in the back seat.
turn the phone on silent and don’t talk on it when driving
I put my phone on vibrate when driving and will use speakerphone if it’s the doctor calling and I never text when driving
I have the kids take a message on my phone when it rings in the car or I pull over and park to speak on it.
My children & hubby know that I will NOT pick up the phone at all to check a text while I’m driving. If they text & I don’t answer, they MUST call me on the phone. I have my phone connected via bluetooth to my radio in the car & can answer & talk hands-free!
Put the phone out of reach, your backseat, your glove box, trunk, somewhere where it’s not tempting you. Then if you really need to make a call you have to pull over and park to grab the phone.
I keep the phone out of reach in the car, if I have a passenger I have them look at it for me.
We put our phones on silent when we get in the car to prevent distracted driving.
My tip is to keep your phone in your bag while you are driving! Kids are always watching and if you do, they will think it’s ok.
I always put my phone on silent and in my purse so I’m not tempted to look at in while in the car.
I’m usually a front passenger but I don’t let my husband look at his phone while driving. I hold on to his phone. If I am driving I have it put away and won’t check messages until I’m at my destination.