“Prepare and prevent, don't repair and repent." Anonymous
August is National Road Victim Month in the UK. A bit of a somber topic for a month of holiday you might say. Many people are taking to the road for their August holiday and it felt like a timely topic!
I recently found out that our mobile phone notifications might literally be driving us to distraction!
In fact, hearing a simple notification, sound or vibration, is as disruptive to our attention as when we are actually using our phones to make calls or send messages. [1]
Isn’t that a shocking finding?
It means that even the most careful driver, who has put the phone out of sight, can be distracted by the notification of a call or text and of course we all know that a split-second lapse in concentration could result in a crash, as at 30 mph a car will travel 100 feet in only 2.3 seconds. [2]
Let’s take control! Notifications from our phone create a feeling of urgency in us, so let’s get into the mindset that “it can wait” and disable them when we are driving!
*** My dare to you this Weekend ️***
Dare to... Think!
Before you drive
Count to five
Agree with yourself that it can wait
Dare to take action
Turn off your notification
Remind yourself it can wait
Tuck your phone away
And enjoy your holiday!
Let me know how you got on with this #dare, do share your personal reflections in the comment section.
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References: [1] Stothart, C., Mitchum, A. and Yehnert, C. (2015) ‘The attentional cost of receiving a cell phone notification’, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 41(4), pp. 893–897.
[2] Think!
Image credit: Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
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