As the year progresses statistics for automobile accidents caused by texting and driving continues to rise. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 3,166 lives taken by distracted driving in just the single year of 2017. This number is far too high, and we want to provide you with some tips to help you and your family stay safe from distracted driving on the road.

1. The first, and most important, step is to commit yourself to not texting and driving.
   1. “There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” – Art Turock
2. Download apps to assist you!
   1. There are many apps and/or phone settings that allow you to block all incoming notifications until you are no longer driving. Some of them even send back an automatic reply to people attempting to contact you that lets them know that you are driving, and gives them an option to push the notification through if it is an emergency.
3. Place your phone on silent and in an unreachable spot.
   1. Try to keep your phone unheard and unseen. Whether in a purse, backpack, glove compartment, middle console, or even in the backseat, out of sight out of mind! 
4. Get used to telling people are driving!
   1. It is so easy to be in the middle of a long-running texting conversation and be tempted to text and drive in order to keep the thread going; however, not wishing to inform friends or family that you are driving is an illegitimate excuse when measured against the potential consequences. Get used to saying, “About to hop in the car, text you back in a few!”, and the desire to text and drive will not be as strong.
5. Enable hands free devices.
   1. Whether this is using Siri, connecting your phone to your car’s built in bluetooth system, or even utilizing a classic dashboard or windshield mount can assist you in those moments when phone use is absolutely necessary while operating your vehicle.

Texting and driving is a known area of concern; however, how many of us are putting in an active effort to eradicate it? Probably not enough of us. Let’s all commit to keeping our roads a little safer and our drivers a little less distracted.