Using a smartphone while driving is one of the greatest sins on the road one may commit aside from driving while intoxicated.
It's no secret how many people have lost their lives and ruined others' because of distracted driving. The figures have been staggering but the effects on the victims are even more heart-wrenching. This is why the government has taken steps to eradicate this problem. In fact, California has enacted a couple of new laws that will take a safety of driving to new heights. One of the laws involves putting mobile devices on a mount placed on the dashboard to prevent drivers from holding their gadgets while using GPS. This also prevents drivers from putting the device at the center of the windshield which may obstruct the view. The other law, which also took effect at the start of the year, is concerned with motorcycle lane splitting.
Aside from the new law that prevents drivers from touching their devices save for a few swipes here and there, here are some other tips to stay safe when using a smartphone while driving:
Smartphone Driving Tip No. 1: Set Up an iPhone Using Siri
Now that smartphones need to be mounted on the dashboard, it could even be safer not to touch the device at all by allowing Siri to do everything that needs to be done. Open Setting in the iPhone then taps "Siri". Toggle to turn "Allow "Hey Siri"" on. Now that Siri is available, drivers can ask Apple's AI about directions and other stuff. Siri can also answer texts, send messages and lots of other things. One important skill is the Do Not Disturb feature which will mute all alerts while the driver is focused on the road.
Smartphone Driving Tip No. 2: Set Up an Android Phone
Similar to Tip No.1, Android phones can be set up to keep the driver safe while on the road. The Android Auto app allows drivers to talk to the Google Assistant just by starting with "OK Google".
Smartphone Driving Tip No. 3: Download Other Driving Apps
Third-party apps such as Drive Safe, SafeDrive, Drive mode and OneTap has lots of features that help keep the driver safe including responding to texts automatically, blocking phone alerts (until the speed drops to a safe 16kph, and "no look" interfaces.
