Holiday Texting and Driving Tips For Teens, Young Adults and Parents, from Robert A. Flaster P.C.

With the beginning of the holiday season quickly approaching, millions of teenagers and young adults will take the road to drive home from college or graduate school to spend time with their families. Sharing the roads with these young adults are other drivers and families who actively use their cellphones, GPS devices and other electronic devices while on the road. In fact, 31 percent of drivers have sent text messages or e-mail messages at least once while driving. 

Unfortunately, our reliance on cellphones and other electronic devices has led to thousands of car accidents involving distracted driving. Texting and driving is particularly dangerous because not only does texting take your eyes off the road, but it also forces you to take your hands off the wheel and your mind off of driving. Therefore, texting and driving can put you at a great risk for getting into an accident.

Although texting and driving is a dangerous habit, it is also an avoidable one. By taking the following steps to prevent texting and driving, you can avoid putting yourself in a potentially volatile situation while on the road this holiday season.

• Before driving, turn off your cell phone and put it in a car compartment that would be inaccessible from your driver’s seat. This is the easiest way to get rid of all possible texting and driving distractions and for you to focus on your trip.  
• If you absolutely need to have your cell phone on and nearby, plug it into a nearby charger outlet and put it on silent or airplane mode. Airplane mode, which is an available setting on most smartphones, prevents your cell phone from receiving phone calls and text messages while turned on. Although turning your phone off is preferable, keeping your smartphone on silent or airplane mode is the next best way to eliminate texting and driving distractions.
• You can also avoid texting while driving by using an appropriate smartphone app. Some apps block incoming texts entirely, while others will read aloud incoming texts so you don’t have to look! Click here to learn more about your smartphone app options.
• If you are expecting an important incoming text and are traveling with a passenger, have that passenger be your “designated texter” and have him or her respond to your incoming texts. If you are traveling alone and are driving in a bluetooth-compatible vehicle, tell your friends and family to call instead so you can take advantage of your phone’s hands-free calling capabilities.  
• If you are meeting a friend or family member and know that person is driving, do not send any texts while they’re driving.  

About Robert A. Flaster P.C.

Robert A. Flaster P.C. is a personal injury litigation firm that has been serving the New York City area for over 27 years. Led by attorneys Robert A. Flaster, Jonathan A. Fier and Joseph Gaba, Robert A. Flaster P.C. represents people who have sustained serious injuries in all types of accidents, including motor vehicle accidents, trip and fall cases, premises liability, construction accidents, products liability, police abuse cases, civil rights cases, dram shop cases, municipal liability and wrongful death cases. The firm stands by its belief in treating its clients as individuals and not as numbers or case files, and has the knowledge, skill, and track record of success necessary to assist its clients in receiving just compensation for their injuries, pain and suffering. Learn more about Robert A. Flaster P.C. at FlasterLaw.com