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Anything that could involve distraction for any period while driving should be banned. Opening and closing windows or tuning radios take little concentration and doesn't take focal attention. You know where the buttons are and in fact many cars allow you to tune radios on the driving wheel with out letting go. Digital radios also have memories and can be tuned with one button, most CD players will take multiple Cd's and even ones that only take one will give enough music for most trips. A phone is very different in that it takes and keeps concentration, even if you don't need to look at it closely.

It's almost impossible to dial a phone without looking at it, impossible to deal with a text without looking and receiving a call also needs attention and distraction. You have to think what you are saying, you have to hold or balance the phone and you will also be worrying about keeping a signal for the length of the call. If the phone is in your hand you can drive the car safely, especially if you need to take sudden avoiding action. You can make a sudden maneuver with one hand. If its wedged under your chin you cant look left and right properly and you will also be looking forward at an angle. If the phone starts to drop from your chin the natural reaction is to try and stop the slip. A movement that could take your concentration long enough to have an accident. At 60mph it takes fifteen seconds to cover a quarter mile. You cannot allow yourself any where near that time to be distracted.

SAFE WAYS

There are plenty of alternatives to taking or making a car when driving.

1/don't take it and call back later

2/stop where safe to answer it

3/invest in a hands free kit that is allowed for in car use. Most will mean pushing a button on the earpiece to answer it and no more. This means your hand is used for a second and your eyes don't need to leave the road.

4/invest in a voice activated phone which will do the work simply with your voice. Some higher priced cars come with this function built in to the car.

5/turn your phone off while driving and either phone people back or allow them to call you later.

There are plenty of distraction around you when you drive already, passengers in your car for example or other road users around you. You need to be aware of what is happening for the whole 360 degrees round you at all time so extra distraction needs to be avoided.

Learn more about this author, Ashley Smith.
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