5 ON YOUR SIDE: Distracted driving

5 ON YOUR SIDE: Distracted driving By KSTP 5OYS: Distracted driving Keeping your eyes on the road is one of the first lessons you hear when learning to drive. But that can be harder with new cars, especially the ones with complex screens and confusing controls. Consumer Reports has tips on getting the information you need, without taking your attention away from driving safely.Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center evaluates how easy or difficult it is to use the controls on new cars and trucks.“Some car controls are more distracting to use than others. We’re really concerned about controls that are critical for safe driving. That can be windshield wipers, your headlights, your high beams, defrosters. Those should all be very easy and quick to use,” says Maddie McCarty with Consumer Reports.Handling or manipulating a cell phone while driving is dangerous and illegal here in Minnesota but more than one in five drivers reported being distracted by their phone during most or all their trips in the car.Disable notifications and connect to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay for navigation and audio, so you can avoid looking at your phone while driving.If you need to send a text, pull over somewhere safe and put your car in park before you pick up your phone.Still struggling with your car’s infotainment system? Stop by your car dealership, and they may be able to help you figure out how everything works, free of charge.