• A message from the CTIA
Safety is the most important call you will ever make.
A Guide to Safe and Responsible Wireless Phone Use
Tens of millions of people in the u.s. today take advantage of the unique combination
of convenience, safety and value delivered by the wireless telephone. Quite simply, the
wireless phone gives people the powerful ability to communicate by voice--almost
anywhere, anytime--with the boss, with a client, with the kids, with emergency personnel
or even with the police. Each year, Americans make billions of calls from their wireless
phones, and the numbers are rapidly growing.
But an important responsibility accompanies those benefits, one that every wireless phone
user must uphold. When driving a car, driving is your first responsibility. A wireless
phone can be an invaluable tool, but good judgment must be exercised at all times while
driving a motor vehicle--whether on the phone or not.
The basic lessons are ones we all learned as teenagers. Driving requires alertness, caution
and courtesy. It requires a heavy dose of basic common sense---keep your head up, keep
your eyes on the road, check your mirrors frequently and watch out for other drivers. It
requires obeying all traffic signs and signals and staying within the speed limit. It means
using seatbelts and requiring other passengers to do the same.
But with wireless phone use, driving safely means a little more. This brochure is a call
to wireless phone users everywhere to make safety their first priority when behind the
wheel of a car. Wireless telecommunications is keeping us in touch, simplifying our lives,
protecting us in emergencies and providing opportunities to help others in need.
When it comes to the use of wireless phones, safety is your most important call.
Wireless Phone "Safety Tips"
Below are safety tips to follow while driving and using a wireless phone which should
be easy to remember.
1 Get to know your wireless phone and its features such as speed dial and redial.
Carefully read your instruction manual and learn to take advantage of valuable
features most phones offer, including automatic redial and memory. Also, work to
memorize the phone keypad so you can use the speed dial function without taking
your attention off the road.
2 When available, use a hands free device. A number of hands free wireless phone
accessories are readily available today. Whether you choose an installed mounted
device for your wireless phone or a speaker phone accessory, take advantage of these
devices if available to you.
3 Position your wireless phone within easy reach. Make sure you place your wireless
phone within easy reach and where you can grab it without removing your eyes from
the road. If you get an incoming call at an inconvenient time, if possible, let your
voice mail answer it for you.
4 Suspend conversations during hazardous driving conditions or situations. Let the person
you are speaking with know you are driving; if necessary, suspend the call in heavy
traffic or hazardous weather conditions. Rain, sleet, snow and ice can be hazardous, but
so is heavy traffic. As a driver, your first responsibility is to pay attention to the road.
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5 Do not take notes or look up phone numbers while driving. If you are reading an
address book or business card, or writing a "to do" list while driving a car, you are
not watching where you are going. It’s common sense. Don’t get caught in a
dangerous situation because you are reading or writing and not paying attention to
the road or nearby vehicles.
6 Dial sensibly and assess the traffic; if possible, place calls when you are not moving
or before pulling into traffic. Try to plan your calls before you begin your trip or
attempt to coincide your calls with times you may be stopped at a stop sign, red
light or otherwise stationary. But if you need to dial while driving, follow this simple
tip--dial only a few numbers, check the road and your mirrors, then continue.
7 Do not engage in stressful or emotional conversations that may be distracting.
Stressful or emotional conversations and driving do not mix--they are distracting
and even dangerous when you are behind the wheel of a car. Make people you are
talking with aware you are driving and if necessary, suspend conversations which
have the potential to divert your attention from the road.
8 Use your wireless phone to call for help. Your wireless phone is one of the greatest
tools you can own to protect yourself and your family in dangerous situations--with
your phone at your side, help is only three numbers away. Dial 9-1-1 or other local
emergency number in the case of fire, traffic accident, road hazard or medical
emergency. Remember, it is a free call on your wireless phone!
9 Use your wireless phone to help others in emergencies. Your wireless phone provides
you a perfect opportunity to be a "Good Samaritan" in your community. If you see
an auto accident, crime in progress or other serious emergency where lives are in
danger, call 9-1-1 or other local emergency number, as you would want others to do
for you.
10 Call roadside assistance or a special wireless non-emergency assistance number when
necessary. Certain situations you encounter while driving may require attention, but
are not urgent enough to merit a call for emergency services. But you still can use
your wireless phone to lend a hand. If you see a broken-down vehicle posing no
serious hazard, a broken traffic signal, a minor traffic accident where no one appears
injured or a vehicle you know to be stolen, call roadside assistance or other special
non-emergency wireless number.
Careless, distracted individuals and people driving irresponsibly represent a hazard to
everyone on the road. Since 1984, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association
and the wireless industry have conducted educational outreach to inform wireless phone
users of their responsibilities as safe drivers and good citizens. As we approach a new
century, more and more of us will take advantage of the benefits of wireless telephones.
And, as we take to the roads, we all have a responsibility to drive safely.
The wireless industry reminds you to use your phone safely when driving.
For more information, please call 1-888-901-SAFE.
For updates: http://www.wow-com.com/consumer/issues/driving/articles.cfm?ID=85
© 2001 Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. All Rights Reserved.1250
Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036. Phone: (202) 785-0081
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Reference information
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