Keep your loved ones safe on the road. Avoid contacting them while they are driving.
Even with two hands on the wheel, using a hands-free device, such as a Bluetooth or a voice command program, distracts your brain and makes you “cognitively blind.” In fact, “the activity in the area of the brain that processes moving images decreases by up to ⅓ when listening or talking on a phone” (NSC).
Tell your family and friends how to reach you if there is an emergency while you are driving.
Your brain cannot process two cognitively-demanding things at once, such as reading text and driving. Instead, during distracted driving, your attention shifts rapidly between two tasks. In those milliseconds between, situations can rapidly change in a moving vehicle.
There are three types of driver distractions.
Taking your mind off of driving.
Taking your eyes off of the road.
Taking your hands off of the wheel.