# Put your phone away before driving

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/phone-away-before-driving/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 54 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#phone-away-before-driving

Sort the phone and the route before you move off, so driving is the only thing you're doing.

**The number:** Young drivers with ADHD: about 36% higher risk of a first crash (hazard ratio 1.36) ([JAMA Pediatrics, 2017](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28604931/))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Not rated. Measured in the general population; we say so because ADHD trials of this do not exist or are too small.
- Evidence grade: C. Grade C: small or mixed studies, expert consensus or clinical practice. Worth knowing, not worth betting on.
- Basis: 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.
- 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.

## 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

1. Set the route and anything else you need before you move.
2. Silence the notifications you can do without, and put the phone out of reach.
3. Let a passenger deal with messages or route changes that can't wait.
4. If you have to use the phone yourself, stop somewhere safe first.

## Talk to a clinician 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

### Start now

- 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.

### What it looks like

- Put the phone in a closed bag before starting the engine.
- Ask a passenger to handle a message while you keep driving.

### Common mistakes

- A quick glance feels harmless. Wait until you're safely parked.
- If the route needs changing mid-drive, let a passenger do it or stop somewhere safe first.

### A structured start

**Make distraction checks routine**

1. Choose a phone location before driving.
2. Set the route and silence optional alerts before moving.
3. Use the same preparation for the next journey.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Put the Phone Away or Pay: tips for safe driving](https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

## Sources

- [Motor Vehicle Crash Risk Among Adolescents and Young Adults With ADHD](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28604931/), JAMA Pediatrics, 2017 (Tier 2 study)
- [Put the Phone Away or Pay: tips for safe driving](https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2026 (Tier 1 guideline)

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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.

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Reuse: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/