ALT-2 What to do when People Talk on their Cell Phones while Driving
If you are in a car with someone who’s talking on a cell phone with one hand and driving with the other, or even if you are near such a driver, your health and welfare is being compromised.
It’s almost impossible to control what other drivers do on the road, but you can take charge of the situation when you are a passenger in a car with a driver who’s talking on his cell.
1) Immediately when you first see the driver reach for that cell phone, register a complaint. You can do it nicely by asking if they would please wait to make their call till later or if they will pull over to the rest stop or side of the street and then make their call.
2) In many states, talking on a handset while driving is against the law. If this is the case in your state, remind the driver that they are breaking the law and could get stopped and fined for disregarding state driving regulations.
3) Offer to make the phone call for the driver or offer to talk to the person on the phone and relay the conversation to the driver so he or she can keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.
4) Offer to drive. If the phone call is important, ask the driver to pull over and tell them you’ll be glad to drive so they can talk and you can still advance towards your destination.
5 Offer to hold the phone up to the driver’s ear/mouth so he can drive without having to use his hand to hold the phone
6) Ask if the driver has a head set and if so, offer to plug it in for him. Sometimes people store headsets in the glove compartment but don’t want to reach that far to get the equipment that would make driving and talking safer.
7) Rather than risk your life, tell the driver that if he doesn’t get off the phone you want him to let you out and you’ll find another way to get to your destination. A statement this forceful usually makes your point loud and clear.
If you have a friend or a family member who frequently drives while talking on the phone, find another person to drive with or, always the safest of all possibilities, drive yourself.
