Responsible Driving

The primary responsibility of every driver is the safe operation of his or her vehicle. Responsible drivers understand that they should not do anything that could be even mildly distracting — whether it be eating, drinking, talking to passengers, or talking on a mobile phone — unless they have assessed the driving conditions and are confident that the secondary task will not interfere with their primary responsibility. We are committed to promoting responsible driving and giving drivers the tools they need to understand and address distractions.

Education and awareness

We support consumer education on responsible driving. We have worked with several groups, including the industry group CTIA, the American Automobile Association (AAA) and SafeAmerica, to provide responsible driving information to consumers.

We provide responsible driving tips for teens and adults, online (see below).

Features that help responsible driving

It is important that drivers understand how they can use the features on their phone to limit distractions. For example, one-touch dialing or voice dialing can limit the need to look at the handset when making a call. Drivers can use voicemail to take a message when driving conditions mean that they must avoid secondary tasks.

Drivers may want to use hands-free features in order to keep both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road. Our mobile phones can be operated hands-free through a speakerphone function or by connecting to a headset. Other features that support hands-free include one-touch dialing, automatic answer, voice dialing and caller ID.

For drivers who prefer more integrated hands-free systems, we offer hands-free kits for professional installation. These enable the phone to be integrated into a vehicle's audio system and controlled using buttons on the steering wheel or through voice commands.

Most importantly, whether a driver is using a hands-free device or a handheld mobile phone, he or she still needs to exercise good driving judgment before deciding to take or make a call.

MOTOSPEAK™

In 2010, we launched MotoSpeak™ - a free Android app that uses text-to-speech and speech-to-text technology.

With MotoSpeak on your phone and your MotoSpeak-enabled Motorola Bluetooth® headset or in-car speakerphone, your texts are read to you and you can then dictate a response – all hands-free.

The full MotoSpeak experience is available when paired with an Elite Series hands-free product: Finiti™ headset, CommandOne™ headset, or Roadster™ in-car speakerphone.

Additional MotoSpeak features that assist drivers include:

• Text message sender ID which automatically reads out who has texted you with the option to “listen now?”
• Acronym translation; when the text message is read aloud, the device translates 150 commonly used text acronyms, such as ‘lol’, ‘btw’ and ‘l8r’, so users will never miss the meaning of a message

Learn more about MotoSpeak.
 

Legislation

In many parts of the world, including Canada and the U.S., legislators are imposing restrictions on the use of telecommunications equipment in the vehicle. Two of the most prevalent restrictions are: mandated use of hands-free equipment for calls while driving; and graduated licensing requirements that prohibit teens from any mobile phone use, including hands-free calling, while driving. Drivers should check the driving laws in their area to determine their specific requirements.

The dangers of texting while driving are self-evident. We support laws that ban typing and reading text messages while driving.

In addition, we support thoughtful legislation intended to address the causes of distracted driving. Such legislation will not only address mobile phone use but the other distractions faced by drivers. It will emphasize the importance of driver education and provide strict penalties when distracted driving directly leads to an accident. If hands-free use is called out, we urge that any such requirement has an exception for emergency situations.

Novice and teen drivers

Most people learn to drive in their teens. But whether a person learns in his or her teens or later, learning to drive requires focus. Even after a person receives a license, education continues. In fact, some jurisdictions formally recognize the ongoing learning process through the use of graduated licensing laws that apply additional restrictions on teen drivers.

It is vitally important that new drivers recognize that learning to drive requires complete attention to the task. Just as you can't learn to play football or the piano while talking on your mobile phone, you can't learn to drive while talking on your mobile phone.

Driver Safety Tips

If you consider a call necessary and appropriate, follow these tips:

• Use a hands-free device
• Secure your phone within easy reach
• Let the person with whom you are speaking know that you are driving and will suspend the call if necessary
• Don't take notes or look up phone numbers while driving
• Do use your phone to call for help in an emergency

Share these useful safety tip postcards:

• Safe driving tips: For teens
• Safe driving tips: For adults

The following strategies can help minimize the risk of distractions while in your vehicle and let you focus on driving:

• Always buckle up, keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
• Know your vehicle and where the controls are located. As much as possible, preset your preferences before you go and adjust them when you are stopped.
• Try to schedule times for breaks and meals to avoid being on the road at these times. If you must eat or drink in your car, unwrap packages or remove lids while the car is stopped. Pull over to deal with children in the back seat. Secure pets in a separate location so they won't distract the driver.
• Personal grooming is important to everyone, but give yourself enough time to get ready before you get in your car, or wait until you get to your destination to freshen up.
• Avoid leaning over to search for items such as your sunglasses, mobile phone and wallet while your car is in motion. Take a minute to check to make sure you have everything before you go or wait until you're stopped to look for items inside the car.

If you must make or receive a call:

• Keep conversations brief and avoid engaging in stressful or emotional conversations. Advise the person to whom you are speaking that you are driving and, if necessary, suspend the call or safely pull off the road.
• Be familiar with handset or hands-free features such as speed dial, redial and voice-activated functions. Program frequently-dialed numbers on your handset.
• When dialing manually, dial only when stopped, or have a passenger dial for you. Consider using a hands-free device to make it easier to keep both hands on the wheel. Ensure that the hands-free device is in place before operating a vehicle.