You are preparing to drive through Maastricht. Your destination is ready, but a message appears just as you are about to move off. This is a good moment to make a decision before the journey starts—not while you are also managing the clutch and watching traffic.
I’m Elvis Begic, your instructor at Rijschool in Maastricht. Alongside manual car control in my Volkswagen Golf, we can discuss how to organise the things that compete for your attention. Lessons are available in English and Dutch.
What do the Dutch phone rules say?
Rijksoverheid states that you may not hold a mobile electronic device while driving. Handsfree use is permitted, including navigation with the device in a holder. That permission is not a recommendation to read messages or adjust settings whenever you feel like it.
Read the official phone-use guidance for the full explanation. For learning, I suggest a more straightforward habit: prepare before departure and leave messages until you are safely parked.
Give your phone a job—or put it away
Before moving off, decide whether you need the phone for this journey. If not, put it away. If you are using navigation, set the destination while parked and discuss any unfamiliar controls with your instructor.
The government's MONO campaign, launched on 28 September 2026, encourages removing the temptation of messages by using silent or do-not-disturb settings, or placing the phone out of reach. Try choosing your setting before you put on your seat belt, so it becomes part of preparation rather than a decision you postpone.
These are practical habits, not a promise that a setting eliminates every distraction.
Treat navigation as information, not pressure
Imagine following directions towards Meerssen or Bunde and hearing an instruction later than expected. This is a learning example, not a fixed lesson route. The useful question is not “How do I catch that turn at any cost?” but “What can I do safely from my current position?”
Do not rush a manoeuvre to rescue a route. Tell your instructor if you are uncertain, continue safely and discuss a suitable next step. A missed turn can become a useful conversation about planning; it does not justify a sudden decision.
Before using navigation during a lesson, agree on the exercise and who will handle any setup. You do not need to improvise with a screen while learning a new traffic situation.
A simple before-departure checklist
- Check the destination and the first part of the route while parked.
- Choose a notification setting and put away anything you do not need.
- Ask about unfamiliar instructions or controls before moving.
- Agree that a route problem can wait for a safe opportunity to discuss it.
This is my suggested preparation checklist, not an official CBR assessment form. Adapt it with your instructor rather than treating it as another task to perform while moving.
Review one moment after the lesson
After parking, pick one situation to discuss. Did a sound pull your attention away? Did you feel you had to obey a route instruction immediately? Was the voice instruction unclear in your chosen language?
A precise example gives us a practical next goal. You might ask to practise listening to a short direction while keeping your attention on the surroundings. We can discuss it calmly rather than label the whole lesson “bad”.
Read about patient driving instruction in Maastricht and starting your lessons with confidence. For a separate pre-drive topic, see our guide to car lights in rain and fog.
Discuss your learning goals with Elvis
I teach manual driving in Maastricht and nearby towns including Meerssen, Bunde and Gronsveld. Tell me your experience, preferred language and what you find difficult. We can discuss your next step without promising a particular lesson count or test outcome.
View current lesson prices and packages or contact Elvis. For theory study alongside lessons, you can use ViaTheoria in English or Dutch.
Official phone guidance and the MONO source checked on 19 October 2026. The legal summary above is separate from my suggested learning routine.