5 Tips For Avoiding Distracted Driving
You lead a busy life. At home, at work, and in your community, you’ve built a full schedule for yourself. And as you juggle it all, you have mastered the art of multitasking. You send emails at the gym, you eat while you walk and you make phone calls on your way to work. While you should be proud of your hard work and productivity, we implore all multitasking experts to refrain from these habits when getting behind the wheel.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,166 lives were lost to distracted driving in 2017. Every little thing that vies for your attention while on the road could have extreme consequences. So, whatever it is that seems so important to accomplish before reaching your destination...it can probably wait. Focus on the road and prioritize your safety and that of those around you above all else.
Top 5 things to do and not do to avoid distracted driving:
- Do not use your cell phone. Yes, really, don’t even touch it. Millennials and youngsters are commonly teased for their incessant cell phone usage. However, there is no demographic group, based on age, race, or location, that dips below 90% of cell phone ownership. No one can be caught without one! But driving and cell phone usage should never go together. Nothing is more important- no text, call, Facebook notification- than your undivided attention to the road. Phone usage is even deemed illegal in California. So...put your phone away!
- Don’t drive when you’re drowsy. We’ve all been there- late in the night, hours slipping by while our eyes grow weary, yet relentlessly determined to reach our destination. However, this stubborn willpower to fight our sleepiness is quite dangerous. In fact, drowsy driving increases the risk of crashing by a whopping four times. A government report found that 37 percent of drivers have nodded off or fallen asleep at least once in their experience driving. It is a common hazard and can have devastating consequences.
- Limit the number of passengers and activity that goes on within your car. While having your passengers might assist in keeping you awake, navigation, and DJing, they might also pose a distraction. So, if belting out your favorite tunes and playing the license plate game with your passengers is distracting while you drive, stay disciplined, and refrain from doing so. Sorry to ruin the fun, but we promise that making it home safely is better than car karaoke.
- Don’t eat while you drive. For all of you who are relentlessly late to work and fight to scarf down some breakfast on your commute, we must warn against this habit. While you fumble to peel your banana and juggle a spilling bowl of cereal (arguably the worst meal for the car), you become distracted from the road. This is the most common fault of the nine to five commuter when behind the wheel. Don’t let your rushing-to-work habits land you in an accident!
- Don’t multitask while driving. Once again, you rushed multitaskers out there must find time to put on your makeup, brush your hair and even your teeth elsewhere! It’s simply not worth it. Don’t mix up your priorities. Focus on the road and leave other tasks at home.
Don’t let your driving attentiveness be compromised for the sake of your busy schedule. A car accident is certainly expensive, often life-changing, and potentially fatal. Be smart. Stay focused. Get to your destination safely.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a distracted driving-related accident, do not hesitate to reach out for legal guidance. We at Peach and Weathers are prepared to offer you counsel and advocacy in this difficult time.
