Forty-eight states have banned texting while driving, yet distracted driving is listed as a probable cause for an increase in the number of collisions each year. The following steps are potential safeguards for you to consider while driving:

Put Your Phone in a Distraction-Free Mode 

Adjust your phone’s settings so that you aren’t tempted to look at (or respond to) every buzzing, dinging or flashing notification. Try putting your phone into airplane mode while driving to your destination to eliminate all distractions. If putting your phone in airplane mode seems too severe, most phones have settings that will allow for media sound and major service providers offer a free app that will silence text alerts once your vehicle attains a certain speed, while still allowing GPS apps. 

Ask Your Passengers to Help 

When you are unable to turn off alerts completely, passengers can be a useful extra set of hands. Enlist your passengers as navigator or DJ so you can keep your focus on the road. 

However, regardless of whether your alerts are set to "on" and you are travelling alone, always remember to...

W82txt

Did you know drivers normally spend five seconds looking at their phones when receiving a text? That's enough time to cover more than the length of a football field when traveling at highway speeds.

As part of our commitment to reduce distracted driving, Auto-Owners began the W82txt campaign, which attempts to increase awareness of the dangers of distracted driving through local advertising and education, as well as direct community engagement by local Auto-Owners agents.

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