Thenophonezone.org Helps Parents Ensure Their Young Drivers

By Author: John Gardner
Total Articles: 38
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BLUFFDALE, Utah -Utah-based HandStands - a promotional products manufacturer known for its automotive accessories, has tamed with nonprofit group FocusDriven to create www.TheNoPhoneZone.org, an online destination filled with tips to end distracted driving.
According to the experts behind TheNoPhoneZone.org, following are the Top Ten Tips for Creating Safer Teen Drivers:

1. Talk with your Teen: Sit with your teen drivers and make them aware of dangers of mobile phone use while driving. Visit TheNoPhoneZone.org for facts, statistics and videos on the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone.
2. Practice what you Preach: Do as you say, by eliminating any calling or texting while driving. Statistics show teen driving behavior will mirror adult driving behavior.
3. Take The Pledge Together: Have you and your teen sign the No Phone Zone Pledge together, promising to refrain from all talking and texting while driving. you and your teen should take the pledge to not use the cell phone while driving. Give your teen an incentive for taking the pledge and not talking or texting while driving.
4. ...
... Write it Down: Lay out your safe driving expectations in writing, including guidelines about curfews, number of passengers in the car, and other distracted driving risk factors
5. Mobilize Other Families: Try using peer pressure to your advantage, by enlisting other parents to talk with their young drivers about the risks of distracted driving and have their teens sign the NoPhoneZone pledge.
6. Spot the Distracted Driver: Take your teens on cell free drive, looking for examples of mobile phone distracted driving; they won't be hard to find.
7. Leverage Text-Blocking Software: Consider subscribing to a service that automatically forwards text messages and phone calls when the driver is behind the wheel. Search online for "text blocking software" to find a wide array of options.
8. Take a Distracted Driving Test Drive: Find an empty parking lot and set up your own obstacle course with cones. While you oversee the action from the passenger seat, have your teen attempt to send a text while driving very slowly. The experience of hitting a cone will be a wake-up call to your young driver.
9. Add Visual Reminders: Install cell phone holders, air freshener devices, or other automotive accessories (such as those available through www.HandStands.com) clearly declaring the car a "No Phone Zone" as a constant reminder that they took the pledge.
10. Tap Technology: Install a device such as Key2Safe Driving on the phone your teen uses that automatically routes calls and text messages to voice mail. It prevents outgoing calls and texts to all phone numbers except 911 and two pre-programmed numbers of your choice (such as a spouse or parents).

About HandStands
HandStands, located in Bluffdale, Utah. manufacturers and distributes Refresh Your Car air fresheners, a leading car air freshener brand, as well as HandStands-branded technology accessories to leading retailers throughout North America. The company also produces a line of retail products and has a fast-growing e-commerce business.
For more information about creating safer teen drivers or to learn about the No Phone Zone pledge, visit www.TheNoPhoneZone.org.