Everyone who drives a vehicle knows that it is not only illegal but dangerous to use their phone while driving. Every day, thousands of people get into deadly accidents as a result of texting while driving. Despite the alarming statistics, careless drivers continue to use their phones for texting.
However, not all texting and driving cases happen because of negligence. Sometimes sending a text can be important and urgent. In that case, it is important to know what the safe way to text is instead of putting yourself in danger. Contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer if you are involved in a texting and driving accident to get the best results.
Alternatives to texting driving
Thanks to technological advances, life has become easier than ever. Texting while driving is dangerous and should never be an option. But, if you need to send an urgent text without stopping the car, there are a few safer alternatives that you may want to try.
1. Ask a friend to do it.
If you are traveling with your friend or people you know personally, you can simply ask them to send the text instead of doing it on your own. This ensures that the text reaches the person and leaves you stress-free. After all, you should not put yourself in danger when there is a human alternative present right there in the car.
2. Speech-to-text
The speech-to-text feature has changed the way people communicate. You do not even need to hold your phone in your hands in order to send the text. All you need to do is talk to your phone. There are many Android and iOS phones that enable you to talk to “phone assistants” and send texts without even looking at your phone. You just need to give them the command, and that is it.
3. Set up an auto-text reply.
Some phones already have this feature, while others may need to download it from the Internet. When you receive texts that are not urgent but still need to drop a reply, you can use these apps to send an automated message. The app will automatically tell those people who text you that you are driving without notifying you of their texts. This enables you to stay focused on the road and prevent distractions.
4. Turn your phone off.
This option may not sound appealing but works the best of all. If you find yourself looking at or checking your phone constantly while driving, turning it off will keep you from expecting a message or a call. You won’t hear any notification tones or vibrations that will distract you.