Distracted Driving | REALTOR® Safety
In honor of REALTOR® Safety Month, we sat down with Carl Carter Jr. of the Beverly Carter Foundation to discuss real estate safety tips. This week, we’re focusing on how real estate professionals can stay safe while driving.
From taking work calls, texting clients, to navigating to unfamiliar locations, your phone is an essential tool to your work. However, using a cell phone is the number one temptation to avoid while driving. Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of workplace-related deaths. Even if it seems harmless to reach for your phone while on the road, you must focus on safe, undistracted driving.
The safest thing to do before getting on the road: set your phone to Do Not Disturb. This iPhone setting will keep your phone from lighting up or ringing as notifications come in. When you are parked and ready to be on your phone, you can then de-activate the setting and see what notifications came in while en route.
Of course, not everyone can completely block their phone off during work. For you, here are some quick tips for safe driving:
- Avoid texting while driving. If you must text, pull over and park first
- If you have passengers, appoint a “designated texter” to handle texting
- Store your phone in the backseat or trunk if you’re tempted to check it while driving
- Set your navigation before leaving your location
There are many ways to approach real estate safety. For other real estate agent/REALTOR® safety tips, check out these links:
- Real Estate Agent Safety Home Page
- Safety Education and Training Videos for Real Estate Professionals
- Downloadable Safety Resources for Real Estate Professionals
- Read about the Beverly Carter story, and how her memory and tragic story spurred change in industry safety practices for real estate agents and REALTORS®.
- Learn more about Stewart and how we partner with real estate professionals here