The more connected you are to your phone and rely on it, the harder it is to put down. But, behind the wheel is the last place you should be catching up on texts or scrolling through social media.
As ironic as it sounds, there are a plethora of ways you can use apps that you download on your phone to save you from a dangerous car accident. Keep in mind that you could receive a fine for messing around on your phone behind the wheel, so you might need to download or program these apps ahead of time.
Below are three types of apps that can help you be a more cautious driver:
- Text-blocking apps: You can shut your phone off or put your phone on airplane mode while you drive to stop text, call and other push notifications. But, if none of those options have proven to be a strong enough deterrent for you to stop picking up your phone behind the wheel, then you should consider downloading a text-blocking app. You can download OneTap to monitor yourself and Lifesaver to block your children from texting while they drive.
- Entertainment apps: Many people who use in-car or converter technology to link the audio of their phone to their car are still guilty of picking up their phone to change music. Instead you can shop around for an app that hosts the media you like to consume. For example, instead of going to your saved library of music, you can use Spotify to create playlists or queue songs or podcasts you enjoy.
- Mapping apps: You might already use a GPS or mapping app. But maybe haven’t taken the time to program addresses or your route before you set out for a drive. You can do this on many pre-installed mapping apps of Google maps, so you aren’t typing while you drive. Or perhaps you like to keep your loved ones informed of your whereabouts when you are on the way to visit them. There is an app called OMW, short for on my way, that lets others follow your trip in real-time, so you don’t have the urge to text anyone updates.
Avoiding doing anything on your phone while driving is your safest route. But if you feel like you need to pick it up before your trek is over, finding a safe place to pull over is always better than driving while distracted.