Thumbs Up Phones Down

TELUS has begun a week long campaign to spread awareness of their distracted driving awareness program "Thumbs Up Phones Down". As a TELUS WISE Ambassador it is part of my role to educate the community on how to keep safe online and offline. With the icy roads and the heavy traffic during this holiday season, this couldn't come at a better time.

Here are some great tips for keeping you from Texting and Driving:

Driver Distraction is a factor in 15-19% of fatal collisions involving teens. Young Drivers of Canada have the following useful tips for teens and parents to help them avoid smartphone distractions while driving and impart positive behaviours to stop distracted driving for good.


  • Out of sight, out of mind: Keep your phone out of your line of sight while driving; keep it in your purse, the glove box or in the back seat to remove the temptation to check it.
  • Put it on silent: Make sure your phone is on silent with vibrate turned off so you don't get distracted by incoming notifications. better yet, switch it off entirely! Your messages will all be there when you've safely reached your destination
  • Pull over:  If you absolutely must check your phone or take a call, pull over to safe location like a parking lot or side street.
  • Use the buddy system: If you're travelling with passengers, have them hold your phone or answer your messages for you.
  • Parents, teach your kids: When parents learned to drive, smartphones didn't exist. As parents, we need to get with the times,  lead by example and start teaching teens that there's never a good time to use a smartphone while driving.
  • Let your friends and family know you're driving: Notify your friends and family before you get in the driver's seat that you'll be driving and unable to answer their calls or texts.
If you want to help spread awareness, use the #ThumbsUpPhonesDown and #TELUSWISE on Twitter or Instagram.

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