You are probably reading this from your sofa or under your table because you are hiding your smartphone. There is nothing wrong with that. But the moment you sit in your car, everything changes. Nowadays having buzz in your pocket is like having electric shock and we cannot escape from that. Although I understand that checking a message does not seem to be a big deal, in fact, it is. Physics does not know about your incredible reaction rate. You check your phone, you stop driving, and start looking at your screen.
Driving requires your full attention. It is not only about keeping your hands on the wheel and your feet on the pedals. It is also about looking where you are going and focusing on your actions. Looking at a message means changing the gear in your head. Thinking about brake lights in front of you will be replaced with your friend's meme. To reverse to your initial state, you will need some time. Being distracted even for a couple of seconds while driving 55 mph means moving for the length of a football field without looking at the road. Scary stuff! 🫣
Luckily, there is something you can do to avoid that situation – make your phone work for you, not against you. Apple and Google created a tool which will prevent you from being an idiot. Its name is "Do Not Disturb While Driving" or DNDWD. It is an amazing feature which just forces your phone to go to sleep in case it thinks that you are in the car. It detects either your movement and speed or connects to your car via Bluetooth and locks your screen. No messages to see here. Silence.
Let's discuss how to activate it. Firstly, it is pretty easy to activate it if you own iPhone. All you need to do is to open Settings app, find Focus option and tap it. Then you need to choose the Driving tab and turn the toggle on. The feature which controls when you turn it on is called Activate. You have to choose "Automatically". It is based on sensors of your phone and knows whether you move fast. So you will not receive any messages if you run to the bus station. 📱
Android owners should not feel left. This feature is available for Android OS too, but it is called differently. Generally, it is called "Driving Mode" or "Do Not Disturb". Depending on your device (Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel), the way to it may differ a little bit. But you will definitely find it in Settings -> Notifications -> Do Not Disturb. You have to enable driving rule which is in "Schedules" or "Exceptions" section. Some devices use Google Maps to track your movement.
Now, you can ask "what if my mother needs me? " It is a fair question. You can adjust options so you will receive messages from particular contacts. For iPhone owners, you can allow calls from your Favorites list. Moreover, you can select that your phone will send an automatic message to your callers saying that you are driving and will reply to them once you reach your destination. It is polite and safe and people will appreciate it. It sets a limit which will protect you and your passengers. 🚗
There is another feature called Passenger which can be used sometimes. Sometimes your phone will think that you are a passenger in somebody's car and will block you. It is annoying. However, both systems give you an option to tap "I am not Driving" which will unlock your screen and will allow you to use your maps and music. But please, do not abuse that button. It was created only for passengers.
As you can see, there are many benefits in using DNDWD. Not only it increases the level of your safety, but you will notice that you feel calmer while driving. You will not feel the urge to constantly check your messages after several days. You will enjoy silence or music you chose to listen and will arrive at your destination without stress. Plus, you will save battery life. Screens consume a lot of it and turning them off conserves battery for actual usage. 🔋
There is also an insurance aspect. These days insurance companies offer discounts for good driving habits. They track it via particular applications. And if you constantly check your messages, your score will drop and you will pay more. However, activation of this feature will keep your score high, which is a real advantage when it comes to money. Who would refuse lower insurance rates for not texting and driving?
Using it is a matter of example you create. Your younger siblings or friends watch you. They will think that texting and driving is okay if you constantly do it. Thus, using DNDWD you create an example for them. You teach them that replying to a message can wait and safety is cooler than replying immediately. Long-term benefit.
Let's talk about the technology itself. As everything which is created by humans, it is not perfect and sometimes it activates when you ride a roller coaster or misses your short trip to a shop. However, the imperfection is worth it. It is a safety net. You will miss several messages, but you will not miss pedestrian. Trade-off which is always worth it. Technology gets better every year and sensors become smarter.
I believe that DNDWD should be activated by default for everybody who drives a car. Obviously. There are laws against drunk driving and for a reason. Distracted driving is equally dangerous. Phone is the major source of distractions in this case. Using the provided features which fight against it is a right thing to do. It takes 5 minutes to set it up. Those 5 minutes can save your life or somebody else's life. It is not an exaggeration.
Thus, please, do yourself a favor and stop reading this right now. Go to settings and turn this feature on. Make it a habit. When you get in your car, put your phone in a glove box or backseat and let software work. Drive safely, arrive safely and reply to that message when you park. It is really easy. 🚙
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