When driving, the best way to avoid being distracted by your phone is to:
- Turn off your phone or put it on silent, and store it out of sight. ✓
- Put the phone on vibrate and in my pocket.
- Put the phone on silent and place on the passenger seat.
- Leave the phone on ring and store it out of sight.
Answer: A. Turn off your phone or put it on silent, and store it out of sight.
The best way is to turn off your phone or set it to silent and put it somewhere out of sight while you drive.
Why this is the answer
The handbook's distraction strategy is simple: leave your phone alone while driving. It says to turn the phone off and put it somewhere it won't distract you, and to let calls go to voicemail rather than answering or reading texts. If you truly need to use the phone, the guide says to pull over and stop first. Turning it off or silencing it and stashing it away is what removes the pull to look at it; keeping it nearby with alerts still active does not.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Put the phone on vibrate and in my pocket. — A phone on vibrate in your pocket still buzzes against you, so you keep noticing it and are tempted to check it.
- C. Put the phone on silent and place on the passenger seat. — A silent phone on the passenger seat is still in plain view and within easy reach, which invites a quick glance or grab.
- D. Leave the phone on ring and store it out of sight. — Storing a phone out of sight but leaving the ringer on means it still sounds off and pulls your attention away from the road.
Remember it
Off and out of sight beats quiet and close by.