Distracted driving is one of the worst things that happens on the road. It’s important to focus and concentrate on driving, but that’s happening less and less.
Modern vehicles have safety features that alert you when you’re moving toward the lane line and systems to put your car back in the center of the lane. You also have access to adaptive cruise control, which matches the speed of cars in front of you. This leads to a little too much comfort behind the wheel and an increase in distracted driving.
Here are seven tips to reduce your distractions while behind the wheel.
Put your phone away
Your phone is one of the biggest distractions that you deal with while on the road. Modern infotainment systems alert you to incoming phone calls, texts, and alerts, which take your attention away from driving. Stow your phone away and put it in the “do not disturb” mode to remove the temptation to use your phone while behind the wheel. Set your phone to send a message to let incoming texts and phone calls receive a response that you’re driving and will respond when done.
Cut out the multitasking
When you step into your car and get behind the wheel, all of your attention should be on driving. This means you won’t apply makeup, eat a meal, or use your phone while driving. It’s up to you to get yourself ready and eat before you get in the car so that you don’t need to take your eyes off the road. If you must have a drink with you, use a cup with a straw so that you can keep watching the road while drinking.
Don’t become the distraction
When you know friends or family members are driving, you could be the cause of distracted driving if you call or text them. These phone calls are a distraction from the road, and texts are even worse. While it is the responsibility of the driver to minimize distractions, you can help them by ensuring you aren’t the cause of them taking their eyes off the road. How bad would you feel if your friend or family member were killed in a car accident because they were looking at their phone to see the text you sent them?
Reduce distractions from kids and pets
Although it’s cute for pets to stick their heads out the window, this can be dangerous and a distraction. Make sure your pets are secured in the rear of the vehicle before you start your drive. Also, make sure your kids are properly buckled in their seats to avoid the distractions they can cause. You don’t need pets and children wandering about in the vehicle while driving. When everyone is secured, you can focus on the road.
Plan and program your route before you go
If your vehicle has a modern infotainment screen, you can easily program your route by entering your destination into the GPS. This is a great way to avoid distracted driving caused by entering routes while driving. Unfortunately, many people will adjust the route or make changes while driving. By becoming a little more disciplined and pulling over to make route changes, you’ll help avoid being more distracted while behind the wheel. Think safety over convenience.
Don’t dig in the floorboards
Have you ever seen the driver’s head disappear from view in the car in front of you? This person is likely reaching down in the floorboards for something that fell. This is a big problem when still on the road in a driving lane. Instead of digging in the floorboards for items and creating a dangerous situation, leave the items where they are until you get where you’re going. If you must retrieve the items, pull over and stop so that you’re out of the way.
Set a good example for your kids
Your driving habits could easily become the driving habits your children exhibit as well. It’s important for you to model good driving behavior and habits that you want your kids to emulate. This means avoiding distracted driving by reducing the ways that you can be distracted. Use good phone discipline, don’t eat in the car, and avoid grooming while behind the wheel. Narrate your activities to help your kids understand why you do these things; they are listening even when you don’t think they are.
One of the best ways to improve your safety while on the road is to minimize distracted driving. This means cutting out anything that could take your attention away from the road and driving, which is what you need to focus on.
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