Be smart when you talk and drive - use a headset, know your laws and give the road your full attention.
Travelers realize it's unsafe to yak on the phone and drive - and increasingly, it's illegal to do so.
Business Traveler tips to promote safe driving and mobile talking practices:
- Use hands free devices and speaker phone settings. A Bluetooth headset or earbud device is better than anything corded, as lines can get tangled and interfere with safe driving.
- Use a car phone charger. If the phone is fully charged, you will fiddle with it less.
- Don't text and drive! Don't send a text. Don't read a text. The Wall Street Journal says, "In...Oregon, pending bills would provide fines -- up to $720 in one of them -- for any driver caught texting or holding a cell phone to an ear. And in Arizona, a bill is pending that would make DWT (driving while texting) a ticketable offense."
- Set speed dial options for items you know you will use before setting out. In particular, set up speed assignments for your hotel, business contacts, AAA or other roadside assistance, and airport phone numbers for your own flights or for anyone you may be picking up.
- Be willing to pull over the vehicle and give a phone call your full attention. Find a safe place to park, like a parking lot for fast food, retail or gasoline. Use rest stops on the highways for driving breaks and phone conversations. Most US rest areas are clean and safe, at least during the day.
- Learn your phone well. Know where everything is on your phone - redial, speed dials, volume, power switch, voice mail. Driving is not the time to wonder how to check the memo page or play with your iPhone settings.
- Know state and country laws regarding yakking at the wheel. Some US states will slap you with fines for holding a phone while driving. Try Motorola's Drive Safe, Call Smart round up of links for cell phone driving articles for the US, Canada and the UK. Business Week lists current US state handheld cell phone driving laws. For other countries, Cellular News offers a country listing chart.
- Let your caller know you are driving and that driving safety and awareness must be your first priority.
- Hold off on all important business calls for later, when you are safely at your hotel, the airport, or other non-moving destination.
Related Business Travel articles - ideas for using your cell phone as an all in one traveler's organizer, and for keeping in touch with the office when traveling.
The copyright of the article Driving Safely with Cell Phones in Business Road Travel is owned by Dan Florio. Permission to republish Driving Safely with Cell Phones in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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