Put your phone away before driving
Sort the phone and the route before you move off, so driving is the only thing you're doing.
Not ratedgeneral health evidence
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; we say so because 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 The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of 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.