Stay safe on the road: How silencing your phone can save lives
Distracted driving due to phone use causes over 100 deaths annually in the Netherlands. A simple step—activating ‘Do Not Disturb’—can significantly reduce risks, protecting you and others on the road. Stay focused, drive safely.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Annual deaths due to distraction | Over 100 |
| Risk increase from reading messages | More than doubles the chance of an accident |
| Distance covered in 3 seconds | 42 meters at 50 km/h (half a football field), 100 meters at 120 km/h |
| Safe phone settings | ‘Do Not Disturb’, ‘Focus’, or airplane mode |
| Emergency accessibility | Remain reachable for urgent calls while blocking non-essential alerts |
Local municipalities in the Netherlands, like Barneveld, play a key role in promoting road safety through public awareness campaigns. They collaborate with national agencies to reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities by educating citizens on safe practices.
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Drive MONO and get home safely
We are reachable all day. That’s great and practical, but it can also be distracting. And that can be dangerous. After all, you already have enough to think about while driving or cycling. Every time you look at your phone, you can’t pay attention to the road. So before you set off, make sure to set your phone to ‘Do Not Disturb’ and let others know you’re on your way. Drive MONO and get home safely.
Put your phone on silent
Fortunately, there are simple solutions: set your phone to silent, ‘Do Not Disturb’, or ‘Focus’. Or let others know you’re on your way and agree to respond later. That way, you won’t be distracted by phone sounds and can concentrate better on the road. This isn’t just safer for you, but for others too. Of course, you can still use your phone’s navigation while driving, provided it’s in a holder, and you should always remain reachable in emergencies.
Did you know?
- Reading and typing messages on your smartphone more than doubles your risk of an accident? Distraction on Dutch roads leads to over 100 deaths per year and many more injuries?
- Incoming messages are particularly dangerous? Even if you don’t immediately check a message, you’re less alert for several minutes afterward.
- Reading a message takes more than 3 seconds. And typing a message takes even longer. In those 3 seconds, at a speed of 50 km/h, you cover 42 meters (the length of half a football field), and at 120 km/h, you cover 100 meters (over the length of a football field).
- You can protect yourself from this temptation by ensuring you don’t receive notifications? For example, by setting your phone to ‘Do Not Disturb’, airplane mode, or ‘Focus’?
- There are also settings that allow you to remain reachable only to certain people.