Corporate Responsibility

The primary responsibility of every driver is the safe operation of his or her vehicle. Responsible drivers understand that no secondary task should be performed while driving — whether it be eating, drinking, talking to passengers, or talking on a mobile phone — unless the driver has assessed the driving conditions and is confident that the secondary task will not interfere with their primary responsibility. Motorola is committed to promoting responsible driving and giving drivers the tools they need to understand and address distractions.

Education and awareness
Motorola supports consumer education on responsible driving. We work with several groups, including CTIA — the Wireless Association, the American Automobile Association (AAA) and SafeAmerica, to provide responsible driving information to consumers.

We provide responsible driving tips for teens and adults, both online (see below), and in our user guides. Together, the American Automobile Association and Motorola developed a guide for the parents of teen drivers to help with teaching teens how to limit distractions while driving (2 page PDF; 375 KB).

Features that help responsible driving
Drivers should understand how their phone features may be used to limit distractions. For example, one-touch dialing or voice dialing can limit the need to look at the handset when initiating a call. Voicemail may be used to take a call when driving conditions require the driver to avoid secondary tasks. A driver may want to use hands-free features in order to keep both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road.

Motorola offers a variety of features to aid the driver who wants to drive hands-free. Our mobile phones can be operated hands-free through a speakerphone function or by connecting to a headset. Other features include one-touch dialing, automatic answer, voice dialing and caller ID. These features help drivers keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

For drivers who prefer more integrated hands-free systems, we offer hands-free kits for professional installation. These systems provide for the phone to be integrated into the 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 electing to take or make a call.

Legislation
In many jurisdictions, it is illegal to drive while using a hand-held mobile phone. The most common requirement is that all calls must be hands free. Drivers should check the driving laws in their area to determine what the requirements are.

The dangers of texting while driving are self-evident. Motorola, along with other members of the CTIA — the Wireless Association, supports laws that ban typing and reading text messages while driving.

We support thoughtful legislation that is based on evidence of the causes of distracted driving. This legislation should emphasize the importance of driver education and provide strict penalties when distracted driving directly leads to an accident. We believe that any hands-free requirements should have exceptions 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, the education continues. In fact, some jurisdictions formally recognize that ongoing 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.

To learn more, please see the safe driving tips for teens below.

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 (2 pages; 144 KB)
Safe driving tips: For adults (2 pages; 184 KB)

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 off the road if you need to consult a map or other directions. Or, if you have a passenger, let them be the navigator. Always wait until you get to where you're going to read a note or write something down.
• Keep conversations light and focus your attention on driving. If necessary, pull over or suggest to your passenger(s) that you talk in more detail when you get to your destination.
• Tell passengers that you will have time to look at things when you get to your destination.
• Never use wireless data services such as text messaging, Web browsing or e-mail while operating a vehicle.
• Avoid unnecessary calls on your mobile phone. Allow your voice mail to answer a call if traffic is heavy or driving conditions are poor.
• 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.
• 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.