New technology can be a distraction or a helpful tool.

When my parents first taught me how to drive, they cautioned me against things like speeding, double parking, making a rolling stop and following too closely behind other cars. Driving, however, has become more complicated over the years. Besides these issues, parents today have the added responsibility of teaching their children how to safely use the new technology with which they have been raised, such as wireless phones and CD players in cars.

Published studies from the Boston-based Yankee Group, a technology research and consulting firm, indicate that nearly 65 percent of our nation’s teens will own wireless phones by the end of 2005, making them the fastest growing segment of wireless consumers. With teens’ increased reliance on anywhere, anytime communication, it’s crucial for parents to instill the importance of responsible wireless phone use while in an automobile.

Wireless phones, after all, can be important safety tools for teens. A wireless phone provides instant communication if your son or daughter is running late or has a flat tire. And wireless phone customers help keep the roads safe by using their phones to make more than 155,000 emergency calls each day to report accidents, drunk drivers and other road hazards.

So how can parents ensure their newly licensed teens use their wireless phones responsibly? The answer is simple: talk to them about wireless safety before they get behind the wheel. To help parents educate their teenagers, U.S. Cellular developed the Wireless Road Rules For TeensSM program – an eight-step guide to wireless responsibility. These rules ask young motorists to:

• Pay attention to the road and changing traffic conditions; safety should always come first.

• Make calls from your car only when necessary.

• Ask a passenger to place or take a call, or let calls go into voice mail.

• Wait until you are stopped at a traffic light to make a call.

• Never take notes or look up phone numbers while driving.

• Make use of services offered by your wireless service provider such as directory assistance call completion. This service reduces distraction for motorists by looking up and dialing phone numbers.

• Use hands-free devices to help reduce distraction and maintain focus on the road. Safety-conscious drivers also can use features such as speed dial.

• End a phone call if traffic becomes heavy or road conditions become hazardous.

When you teach your teenager to drive, make sure he or she knows not only the rules of the road, but also the wireless road rules. More importantly, lead by example when you use your wireless phone in the car.

These rules can make all of the difference in keeping your entire family safe when they’re on the road.

Jim Holmes is director of sales for U.S. Cellular in Augusta.

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