If you use your phone while driving you’re not alone – but how can we make roads safer and bring insurance rates down?

Sixty-four percent of 18 to 29 year olds admitted to texting and driving, and 54% admitted to surfing the internet while driving in a recent State Farm survey published in the Wall Street Journal. While these percentages were lower for drivers over 29 years of age, almost a third of all adult drivers admit to texting and driving.

The purpose of this blog is not to cite statistics from insurance companies telling you that texting while driving is dangerous – that’s evident to most people, especially young adults. It is not a problem that can be fixed by passing a law. Most insurance companies have ad campaigns that present too many facts in too little space – even “how-to” models to avoid distracted driving. Here at Reardon Insurance, we have a simple solution. Want to stop texting and driving? Put your phone down.

In all seriousness, the point is that saying “stop” does not acknowledge the root of the problem. While unsafe, people want to use technology while driving. Emphasizing the fact that it’s unsafe hasn’t worked over the past few years. This doesn’t mean there’s no solution – we just have to think of new ways to safely incorporate technology while driving. Some automakers allow you to integrate phone apps into the radio. “Heads-up” displays allow you to see information without taking your eyes off the road. Voice recognition and blue tooth technology allow you to send messages using your voice without physically typing.

The key to decreasing distracted driving is not to condemn technology, but rather to embrace safer ways to use technology. While technology is at the root of the problem, it may also be the solution.

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