Cell phone safety - simply avoid calls

But what they can't do is keep your attention on the road.

According to the National Safety Council, your risk of becoming involved in an accident increases 400 percent when you use a cell phone. And it's not just people making the calls that's a problem. NSC statistics show that 42 percent of cell phone related crashes are due to incoming calls.

The fact is, hands-free devices don't substantially reduce the risks of using a cell phone while driving, and the odds of having an accident while using a cell phone are about the same as for driving intoxicated, according to the NSC.

Cell phones and other portable communications devices are convenient, and potentially lifesaving in an emergency. But any distraction while driving can impact your ability to drive defensively and decrease your chances of having a safe and uneventful driving experience.

We each have a responsibility to ourselves, our loved ones, and the driving public to drive safely and defensively. To do so requires that your focus be on driving. Distractions from cell phones, CB equipment, radios and even conversations with other passengers can have fatal results.

If you must use a cell phone whiled driving, consider these safety tips:

• Don't make calls while vehicle is moving. Pull off to the side of the road, park in a safe location and then make the call.
• If you must use your cell phone in traffic, use a hands-free device. However, understand it's the conversation itself that can distract.
• Avoid emotional, stressful, or complex calls. Keep them short and simple. If that's not possible, inform the caller you're driving and will return the call momentarily, after you've pulled off the road and into a safe location.
• Don't take notes or look up information while operating a vehicle.
• Shut off the phone to avoid the urge to pick up incoming calls. Calls will go to voicemail, and you can return the calls under safer circumstances.
• Don't answer or make calls in severe weather or heavy traffic.

At Allstate, we want to not only provide the insurance coverage that helps protect your people and property, but to give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing you're backed by a team of Loss Control Consultants who understand your business and can help you prevent a loss before it happens.

That's why we've created the Allstate Safety Line at 800-877-6998, where Loss Control Consultants personally help small-business owners learn more about:

• Fleet and auto safety
• Accident investigations
• Self-inspection procedures
• Safety training
• Fire protection and safety
• Hazard control methods
• Safety and health rules and regulations that apply to your particular business
• Much more

Just call us anytime with your contact information and briefly describe your question or issue. If a trained Loss Control Specialist isn't immediately available, one will call you back by the end of the next business day.