Contact us today!
(518) 203-2110

Evolve IT

Evolve IT has been serving the Saratoga Springs area since 1995, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Tip of the Week: 4 Life-Saving Alternatives to Driving While Distracted

Tip of the Week: 4 Life-Saving Alternatives to Driving While Distracted

For the busy business owner, demands on schedules make it mandatory to use their smartphone while on the go. While it’s important to be productive, safety is even more important. Therefore, you should never use your phone while driving in such a way that puts you and others at risk.

In many places, talking on your phone while driving is against the law, and the penalties are even more broad for using your smartphone while driving for tasks like texting and checking email. Distracted driving has become an epidemic on the roadways and the damage it causes is staggering. Consider these sobering statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation:

  • At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010.
  • Ten percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of driv­ers who were distracted at the time of the crashes.
  • In 2014, 3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

Obviously, the best solution to this problem is to put down the phone altogether, keep your eyes on the road, and your hands at ten and two. However, for many modern workers, this is one luxury they can’t afford. If you must use your smartphone while on the go, consider these four options.

  • Bluetooth headsets: A wireless headset frees up your hands, allowing you to talk on the phone while keeping both hands on the steering wheel. Another helpful feature of many Bluetooth devices is the ability to speak commands into the device, making it so you don’t have to handle your phone in order to make phone calls. Many newer vehicles have built-in handsfree capabilities with the stereo system, letting you make and take calls without taking your eyes off the road.
  • Voice recognition technology: Even better is voice recognition technology which allows for the use of apps and even replying to texts by simply using your voice. This technology makes it possible to drive without ever needing to handle one’s device.
  • Find alternative ways to be productive: You may be surprised to learn that there are other ways to be productive on the go besides communicating with your phone. Take for example, listening to an audiobook or playing back your sales presentation in order to fine tune it. You can also try just turning off your phone during your commute and benefitting from being unplugged from the world, even if it’s only for a short drive.
  • Have someone else do the driving: Just because you lack the funds to hire a chauffeur, doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to travel by having someone else do the driving, allowing you to focus on your work. Carpooling is an environmentally friendly option, and public transportation can be worth the aggravation if it lets you hunker down and get work done during your commute.

At Evolve IT, we regularly blog about how to use your technology to be productive. For more great tips and tricks, subscribe to our blog.

Bonus Tip: The New York Times released an interactive texting-while-driving game which teaches drivers how distracting texting can be. Click the link to find out for yourself.

Comments

 
No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
Already Registered? Login Here
Guest
Saturday, 26 April 2025
If you'd like to register, please fill in the username, password and name fields.

Captcha Image

Blog Archive

Free Consultation

Sign up today for a
FREE Network Consultation

How secure is your IT infrastructure?
Let us evaluate it for free!

Sign up!

Free Consultation
 

Tag Cloud

Tip of the Week Security Technology Internet Best Practices Cloud Hackers Privacy Email Productivity Business Malware Business Computing Software User Tips Efficiency Workplace Tips Google Hosted Solutions Microsoft Computer Upgrade IT Support Mobile Devices Innovation Smartphone Windows 10 Hardware Gmail Network Security Ransomware Microsoft Office Office Backup Apps Business Continuity Disaster Recovery Communication Hacking Operating System WiFi Facebook The Internet of Things Social Media Bandwidth Experience Firewall Money Content Filtering Mobile Device Management Cybercrime Network Website Managed Service Provider Outlook Employer-Employee Relationship Wireless Technology Android Smartphones Two-factor Authentication History Apple Small Business Phishing App Best Practice Mobile Computing Alert Big Data communications Networking Safety Unified Threat Management Data storage Data Windows Quick Tips Government Google Docs Education Deep Learning BDR Holiday Augmented Reality Keyboard Cleaning Black Market YouTube Search Processors User Hard Drives Office Tips LiFi Vendor Management Staffing Downtime Remote Computing Shortcut BYOD Passwords Streaming Media DDoS Help Desk Heating/Cooling Word Micrsooft Visible Light Communication Monitors Disaster Business Growth Data Management Business Management Robot Advertising Displays Recovery Sports Society Google Wallet Spam Competition Presentation Entrepreneur Information Technology End of Support Running Cable Internet of Things Domains Windows 8 Hosted Solution Windows XP IT Services Hacker Artificial Intelligence Writing Documents Tech Support Compliance Drones Application Customer Service Social Printer Browser Virtual Desktop Wireless Securty Router Unified Communications Retail Document Management Encryption Office 365 Law Enforcement SaaS VoIP Analytics Saving Money Managed IT services Proactive IT Lithium-ion battery Cortana intranet Network Congestion Bluetooth Save Money Social Networking Music Public Speaking Automation Memory Laptop IP Address Virtualization Cryptocurrency IBM
QR-Code