family

Time To End Distracted Driving

This post contains affiliate links. We may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

This is a sponsored blog post and I was compensated by AT&T. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Something happens inside of you when you have a child that is of driving age.

I remember the moment when this happened to me. I was driving down the road, and I heard the familiar “ding” from my cell phone letting me know that I had a text message. It is almost second nature to pick up my phone and look to see who the message was from… but then I remember just seconds before, I was telling Maddie that she had to make sure she never took her eyes off the road. Never!

It was like the world shifted. If I wanted her to be a safe driver, the most important thing I could do was to show her safe driving. But even the best intentions need some help. Thankfully AT&T has tools to help us stay distraction free when we are driving.

20160729_190301

Maddie has had her permit for a few months now, and every time we are in the car together, I have a constant dialog going with her. I point out possible upcoming issues so that she can do the same when she is driving. I am teaching her to drive in the rain. I’m showing her the best distance recommendations between her and the car ahead of her.  I am taking a pledge to end distracted driving, and she is doing it with me.

We both believe that nothing is more important than driving distraction free. Whatever comes through on our phones- It Can Wait.

 

AT&T has a real solution to distracted driving by encouraging us all not to think about it.

That sounds odd right, but the theory behind it is that if our phones are not tempting us to distraction, then we won’t be distracted. That can be by using their DriveMode app, which silences the notifications when you are driving, or by moving your phone far enough away that you can’t see or hear it. You can lock it in the trunk while you are driving, or just turn your phone off. Do whatever works for you. 

AT&T is also going beyond that with the It Can Wait 21-day challenge and pledge to never drive distracted. 

We all know that habits are made after 21 days of doing it, so they have created the 21 Day Challenge to encourage you to drive distraction-free with the tips above.

Driving distracted is dangerous. This isn’t something new, but did you know that even people who acknowledge that it is dangerous still drive when they are distracted. We all need to be a part of the solution by joining the challenge. 

The 21-Day Challenge will help people who pledge make safe driving a lifelong practice. It also will help the 1-in-3 drivers for whom distracted driving is a habit1turn their bad habit into a good one.

Why 21 days? Experts say it takes at least 21 days to make or break a habit. So, by stowing away our phones while driving for 21 consecutive days, we can break this bad habit.

 

I was really interested in the research that AT&T did. Did you know that almost half of people who took the pledge said they now don’t use their smartphones while driving? Or that 4-in-10 people asked a friend or family member to not use their smartphone while driving. This was important to me because I want to empower my girls to speak up about this if they are in the car with someone who isn’t paying 100% attention to the road.

The good news is that those who share their promise or pledge with others are even more likely to stop driving distracted, and more likely to speak up to others. 

In addition to the challenge, AT&T also has a pledge where we can commit to driving with zero distraction. This is a winning combo to me. When I make a promise or a pledge to something as important as this, I know I will keep it, and I know that the 21 Day Challenge is exactly what I need. I plan to give my phone to a passenger when I am driving and to turn it off when I am driving alone. I will be updating my progress during the next 21 day on my social media pages.  I encourage you to take the pledge with me right now! Let’s work together to end distracted driving by joining AT&T and their goal to get 16 million pledged by the end of 2016!

 

(New AT&T research is from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,096 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken from August 9-10, 2016. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+). Respondents were asked how often they use their smartphone while driving. Those who did not drive, own a smartphone, or preferred not to answer the question have been excluded from this analysis.)

Did you take the pledge?

Heather Reese
the authorHeather Reese
Heather Delaney Reese is the storyteller and photographer behind the lifestyle and family travel blog, It's a Lovely Life®! For the past decade, she has vacationed over 150 days a year with her family. She is a vegan, and loves being by the water, spending time with her children, husband, 2 Shih Tzus and Cat.

71 Comments

  • There are so many tragedies that could be prevented if people weren’t distracted :/ I think it should be taught with the driver’s ed course or at least mentioned somewhere in the driver’s manual!

  • I love this challenge. My son has had his permit for a few months. He has been carrying a cell phone around and using it. Right now he has been turning the radio off when he is driving.

  • What a great challenge!!! Even adults get diestracted when driving! It’s horrible the things that happen over such silliness :-/

  • I almost got into an accident a few weeks ago. I was going straight at an intersection. It was a green light and all of the sudden a HUGE truck turned left in front of me. He was oncoming and didn’t even notice me honking of the fact that I had to slam on my breaks. I had all of my kids in the car and it was terrifying!

  • My step daughter eill be driving soon. I really need to share this article with her. Thanks for writing it.

  • Thanks for sharing this article with us. Could be a good eye opener for people to put a stop in DISTRACTED DRIVING.

  • Yikes. This is so good to know. My oldest is only 12, but I already fear him driving in a few years. I almost wish they would raise the age! Thanks for the info on this!

  • I like to think I am pretty good about not using my phone in the car, but to be honest, my kids really distract me! This is a great challenge for everyone to take!

  • Distracted driving is such an upsetting problem! It makes me so sad to see prominent bloggers and influencers posting videos of themselves talking while driving a car. It’s great to see that you’re posting about the dangers and this campaign.

  • it certainly can wait! such a great reminder, and thanks so much for sharing. wouldn’t traffic be so much better if we were all looking up and actually driving?!

Comments are closed.