Every day in the United States, an average of 8 people die from a vehicle accident that was caused by distracted driving. Driving a vehicle is dangerous, even for the safest of drivers. You can never control how safely other people are driving or weather conditions. But, you can decrease your odds of being involved in an accident by eliminating your driving distractions. Keep reading to learn how to avoid the most common driving distractions so you can reach your destination safely.
1. Use Driving Mode to Eliminate Phone Distractions
If you’re looking at distracted driving statistics, the most common statistics will include cellphone use. That’s because 1.6 million crashes each year involve cell phones.
Whether someone is texting, answering a phone call, taking a selfie, or just changing a song — taking your eyes off the road is extremely dangerous. To avoid looking at and using your phone while driving, you should enable Driving Mode on your smartphone.
But Apple and Android phones have Driving Mode, which is accessible in the settings menu. This prevents notifications from coming through when your driving unless the person texts that it’s an emergency. Also, it will allow you to make commands using your voice through Siri or Google Assistant.
2. Familiarize Yourself With Your Car
Another common distracted driving cause is not looking at the road. If you’re driving 55 miles per hour and look down for just five seconds, your vehicle will travel 80 feet.
This is why you should eliminate the need for you to look at anything other than the road. If you’re driving a new car, you can spend too much time trying to locate your windshield wiper controls or change the temperature settings. Instead, locate all the bottoms and controls you may need before you begin your trip.
3. Keep Passenger Distractions to a Minimum
Distracted driving accidents are also often caused by passenger distractions.
Most notably, children are a huge distraction when it comes to driving. Whether they’re trying to get out of their car seat, endlessly crying, or asking you for something — they can be hard to ignore. It’s important to teach your children at an early age that while they’re in the car, they need to be quiet and well-behaved.
Besides, other passengers can be distracting. Tell your friends and family members you’re trying to drive more safely before you start the car. If they try to hold a conversation with you while you’re driving, avoid looking over at them when talking.
If you find yourself involved in an accident caused by a passenger distraction, you’ll want to seek legal advice. Head to this website to see what an accident lawyer can help with should you hire one.
Avoid These Driving Distractions and Stay Safe
After reading this article, you’re more informed about the common driving distractions, and you know how to avoid them. The number one cause of distracted driving is cellphones, so use driving mode to eliminate those distractions. Then, familiarize yourself with your car controls so you’re not looking away from the road while driving. Finally, teach your children and ask your passengers to keep their distractions to a minimum so that you don’t end up in an accident. If you find yourself in an accident due to distracted driving, you’ll likely need legal help. Head to the Accident Law section of this site to learn more about what to do in the case of an accident.
