Leave the Phone Alone
No text is worth your life or that of others.
Watch real-life stories about the consequences of distracted driving
As a driver, it's your responsibility to focus on driving so that you can react to changing road conditions.
It takes an attentive driver 1.5 seconds to react to a situation on the roadway. When drivers are distracted, reaction time is doubled.
Between 2017 and 2021, there were over 3404 injuries and 18 fatalities in Ottawa in which distracted (inattentive) driving was a contributing factor.
Multitasking is a myth!
According to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, texting, driving and talking are all thinking tasks. Our brains switch between tasks. This means we can't do two thinking tasks at the same time, regardless of driving experience.
Try this activity and see firsthand how texting affects your ability to focus on driving.
Everyone can prevent texting and driving.
- Put your phone in the trunk, glove box or back seat so you aren't tempted to use it.
- Turn your phone off or put it on Do not disturb.
- Safely pull over to the shoulder of the road or a parking lot before using the phone.
- As a passenger, remind the driver to focus on their driving if they reach for the phone - take responsibility for your safety.
- Ensure the person you are contacting is not engaged in driving. If they are, tell them to get back to you when it is safe.
- Help promote safe driving by sharing this page with your friends and family.
Leave the Phone Alone Resources
- Fact Sheet (Primary Grades)
- Fact Sheet (High School)
- Pledge info card
- Activity book
- Activity placemat
- Pledge info poster
- Large pledge poster
- High-resolution logo
- Low-resolution logo (for websites)
- Graphic to create window decal
- Graphic to create phone wipe
- Graphic to create thumbprint