How to balance cell phone distraction with driver safety

The temptation to check your phone when you are driving is strong. It would be so easy to quickly respond to a text or make a quick call-but the modern world brings even more danger with its many distractions.

Cell phones cause many car accidents, even though cars themselves are getting safer. Being aware of the potential consequences of using your phone behind the wheel could help you avoid a deadly decision.

Pennsylvania laws go easy on cell phone use

Compared to other states, our cell phone laws are relatively lenient. In Pennsylvania, texting while driving is illegal-but calling while driving is allowed. Even if you do get a ticket for texting, the fine is only $50.

Nonetheless, texting is still a serious issue and increases the danger for everyone on the road. $50 may not seem like much-but the cost of a car accident may be much higher than that.

You should still put your phone down

Just because making a phone call while driving is legal doesn’t mean that it is safe. A study from the University of Iowa found that conversations slow down your reaction time while driving.

When you need to pay attention to road signs, other drivers and potential hazards, slower reactions can lead to fatal accidents. To keep your attention on the road, you should consider:

· Mounting your phone to your dashboard so you don’t need to hold it

· Pulling over or parking if you need to check something on your phone

· Using a hands-free system if you must make a call

· Enabling the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature on your phone to hide notifications

Phone calls may be safer than texting-but the safest way to drive is with no distractions at all. You might be better off avoiding your phone entirely when you’re on the road.

At [nap_names id=”FIRM-NAME-1″], we see distraction-related accidents all the time. Our experienced personal injury attorneys can answer all of your questions about what to do after an accident.