With a no texting while driving ordinance expected to be in place by the end of the month, you might wonder what you should do with your cell phone while you're driving.
Not playing with your cell phone or sending text messages may be difficult for many drivers. But the South Dakota Safety Council has some advice to take the temptation out of your drive.
By the end of the month, people in Sioux Falls will be fined for sending text messages while driving. For those who are constantly attached to their phones, it may be time to figure out an alternative.
"There are several drive mode applications there that you can use. Basically what the drive mode app does, it's like an out-of-office so you activate it when you get in the vehicle and those incoming texts or phone calls then receive a message that basically says I'm driving love to talk with you I'll get back to you shortly," Diane Hall with the South Dakota Safety Council said.
Representatives with the South Dakota Safety Council believe those applications are the best option while you're driving. So, what should you do if you don't have a smart phone?
"I would definitely put it on vibrate so that you don't hear it. Pop it into you console or into the seat next to you. Just so that you are focusing on what you are doing, driving," Hall said.
And focusing on the road is what it really comes down to. Hall says many drivers also get overly comfortable with their driving skills.
"But then we go to another stage, it's the numb stage. You drive from work to home but can't remember the last three blocks," Hall said.
And that's where problems arise. So if you have to answer a call or a text, the safety council says you should follow one rule of thumb.
"But I would just recommend pulling over then. There is just so much going on when you're driving; just pull over," Hall said.
The new ordinance is a primary offense and that could cost you up to $200 the first time you get pulled over for it.
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