Let it Go!

They do as we do, not as we say. So put down the phone!! It's hard - really hard. But here are some ways to get that device out of your hands while you are carting around precious cargo... or even when you are alone in your car and other people are carting around their precious cargo: 

* Throw your phone on the passenger side floor, the back seat, the deep recesses of your purse, or anywhere else that's out of your reach
* Turn on settings that disable in-coming texts while you drive
* Stop pressing "It's okay, I'm the passenger"-type prompts when you are actually the driver
* Find a good radio station to listen to
* That can be hard, so down load a podcast or an audiobook to listen to (bonus point: download BEFORE you are actually driving)
* Put your kids in charge of your phone while you are driving - if you need to make a call or send a text, they can do it for you
* Make a pact with your kids that you will never glance at a screen while driving, even of they neeeeeed to show you a really funny video or a crazy pic - wait until you have arrived at your destination because checking at a red light is still a version of engaging with screens while driving
* My grandfather used to say that getting a speeding ticket really slows you down - ditto getting into an accident because you are trying to finish that one last text or email

There has been a historic surge in U.S. traffic fatalities over the last four years as more drivers use their phones to respond to texts or scroll through Instagram feeds. Even parents can’t keep keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, new research shows. Half of all parents use their cellphones while driving with young... READ MORE