Put your phone away before driving
Not ratedgeneral health evidence
Sort phone and route before you move off, then just drive.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
If you're not driving right now, pick where the phone goes on your next journey.
5 minutes
Before your next drive, set up phone silencing, your route and an out-of-reach phone location.
15 minutes
While parked, check the phone and navigation settings you will use for future journeys.
A plan
Make distraction checks routine
- Choose a phone location before driving.
- Set the route and silence optional alerts before moving.
- Use the same preparation for the next journey.
How sure the science is
Not rated, general health evidence
- No pooled trials to rate.
- This rests on single studies, expert consensus or clinical practice.
- Measured in the general population.
- ADHD trials of this do not exist or are too small.
ADHD crash-risk cohort (measured in ADHD) plus national general-population safety guidance for the action; the phone-away routine has no ADHD efficacy estimate.
The number, drawn
Young drivers with ADHD: about 36% higher risk of a first crash (hazard ratio 1.36)
Why it matters
- In a cohort of young drivers, those with ADHD had a 1.36 times higher risk of a first crash than those without ADHD, about 36% higher.
- That is an association, not a measured benefit of putting the phone away.
- NHTSA lists phones, and adjusting the radio or GPS, as driving distractions, and advises Do Not Disturb or putting the phone away.
- The ADHD crash-risk finding is why this routine matters more for you.
How to do it
- Set the route and anything else you need before you move.
- Silence the notifications you can do without, and put the phone out of reach.
- Let a passenger deal with messages or route changes that can't wait.
- If you have to use the phone yourself, stop somewhere safe first.
- Only read or change settings when you're safely parked.
- This routine does not establish that you are fit to drive.
- Follow local licensing rules and any clinical advice given to you.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- Put the phone in a closed bag before starting the engine.
- Ask a passenger to handle a message while you keep driving.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeA quick glance feels harmless. Wait until you're safely parked.
- Common mistakeIf the route needs changing mid-drive, let a passenger do it or stop somewhere safe first.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- C Small or mixed studies, expert consensus or clinical practice. Worth knowing, not worth betting on.
- The number
- Young drivers with ADHD: about 36% higher risk of a first crash (hazard ratio 1.36) (JAMA Pediatrics, 2017)
- Benefit
- 47/100 An editorial priority for the general list, weighted by certainty. It does not predict what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Some effort
Sources
- Tier 2 studyMotor Vehicle Crash Risk Among Adolescents and Young Adults With ADHDJAMA Pediatrics, 2017
- Tier 1 guidelinePut the Phone Away or Pay: tips for safe drivingNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2026
- General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan.
- Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you.
- Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.