With distracted driving rates on the rise, and more people driving every year, the roads are getting more dangerous. When we think of distracted driving, we often consider those who are on their phones – whether talking or texting – or someone who is reaching to find something.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of different distractions to consider. Here are a few that may not have crossed your mind, and how you can make sure you aren’t driving distracted, compliments of DrivingGuide.com.
Children
A parent’s primary goal when driving with children is to ensure their kids arrive at their destination safely. However, the kids themselves can be distractions. Arguments between siblings, whining, the endless barrage of questions, noisy toys or tossed objects quickly amount to an overall safety issue.
Ensure your vehicle has a rotating arrangement of quiet activities and snacks for your children, especially if you know you’ll be traveling a long distance or close to meal or sleeping times. Engage your children in light conversation, asking simple questions to keep them busy while you travel without taking away too much attention from the road.
Have regular conversations about car safety with your kids. If an issue arises, pull over somewhere safe to deal with it.
Outside Events
Another common distraction that leads to numerous accidents each year is spending too much time focusing on outside events. This one can be chalked up to being human, and having a curious nature. If we see something interesting going on, whether it be an accident or a pedestrian behaving strangely, we feel compelled to look.
The problem with this instinct is that the moment we look at the distracting item, we are no longer looking at the car ahead of us. This is why so many accidents on the road tend to result in related accidents soon after. We are too busy looking at the scene to notice the person in front of us put on their brakes.
Don’t let yourself get distracted by an accident. Be mindful of the fact that there are emergency professionals and dazed victims wondering around. You also know that you can’t rely on others to be paying attention, so you must stay vigilant.
Going on Autopilot
We get it, really. You drive the same route multiple times a day, hundreds of times each year, to get to work, school, the grocery store, and home. If given an empty street, you could probably drive it blindfolded and rely on muscle memory.
However, you don’t have an empty street.
Do you ever arrive at a destination and forget the entire drive? You feel like you were on autopilot, letting your mind drift to the various things you have to do later. It’s during this mental fugue that many accidents take place.
While you aren’t consciously distracted by anything, your focus is starting to shift away from what you’re doing. As such, you don’t immediately notice when someone slams their brakes on to make a last-minute turn or pulls out of a treed driveway without looking.
You can encourage intentional actions by becoming more mindful while you drive. Challenge yourself to notice three new things each day during your commute. This will ensure that you are constantly scanning your surroundings on alert, rather than mentally drifting.
Eating and Drinking
Eating and drinking while on the way to work or rushing between your child’s extracurricular events can be near impossible some days, and no one would ask you to give up your morning coffee. However, opening wrappers and putting food in your mouth takes your hands off the wheel. Eating mindlessly enhances the risk of choking and is unhealthy in many ways.
Try and shift your schedule to give yourself time to eat. Take sips of your coffee while you have ample room on the highway and aren’t enveloped in traffic. If you must eat, bring something that is easy to manage with one hand, so you aren’t distracted by wrappers and drips of food.
When you’re on the road, it’s your responsibility to keep yourself and those around you safe. Eliminating distractions is the most effective way to prevent accidents.
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