5 Ways to Prevent Distracted Driving

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According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 1.35 million people die each year from road traffic crashes and plenty more get hurt in accidents that require help from experts such as Rainwater, Holt, & Sexton Injury Lawyers. Most of these accidents are distracted driving-related accidents. Distracted driving is the act of driving while engaging in activities that distract the driver’s attention, focus, and concentration on the road. Fiddling with the navigation system, the stereo system, eating and drinking, texting and talking on the phone, and talking to the people in the vehicle are just but a few of the most common distracting activities that mess up drivers. These activities have been found to compromise the driver’s safety, that of the passengers, pedestrians, and other road users as well as property along the road. But how can you avoid becoming a victim to this common menace in the society as a driver? Here are 5 ways to prevent distracted driving.

Keep Your Phone Silent, If Not Away

This helps to avoid the temptation of checking your phone every time it beeps. Additionally, you may also need to put your phone completely out of reach or even turning it off completely. Just ensure that you’ve enabled the voice mail services in case someone tries to reach you with an important matter. With technology at play in the modern vehicle, you also have the option of using voice command prompts and Bluetooth/wireless tech, in what is often known as hands-free phone operation. However, you will want to use these sparingly or when you absolutely need to, as they also don’t get rid of road distractions completely.

Groom at Home

Your rear-view mirror is not your dressing mirror! Allocate enough time in the morning to apply makeup, shave, and dress. Ensure that you wake up earlier to make time for this before stepping into the vehicle. If you don’t have enough time for this, just bring your grooming supplies with you and only use them when you’ve reached your destination and have safely parked the vehicle.

Consider a Pre-Program the GPS

To prevent you from constantly fiddling with your GPS, ensure that you’ve programmed it before leaving for your destination. Check for the traffic reports to help you pick the most convenient routes. Set up the GPS before you start driving and use the voice commands only when you have to.

Secure Loose Possessions

All the loose objects are to be secured before you start the car. These include water bottles, small handbags, grooming supplies, books, and other gadgets. When you place these in the trunk, you won’t be tempted to reach for anything that falls or looks misplaced while driving. In addition to this, ensure that your pets are in cages and pet carriers and that these are fastened with a seatbelt.

Pull Over When You Need To

Safely pull over on the side of the road for those emergencies. You may need to breathe some air, have a bite, make a short call, or respond to an urgent text/phone call. Additionally, you may need to attend to the needs of your kids or the pets. Just make sure that you make an exit if you happen to be on a highway, before pulling over to a less busy road.

Finally, it’s important to educate yourself more on road signs and their meanings. It helps to avoid taking too much time on the road signs. You don’t need to go back to a driving school for this. As a matter of fact, the internet can be a great resource for these and more tips on distracted driving.

You should also make sure that you have arranged all the things you need to before you even set foot on the road. That includes having the right insurance for your vehicle, whether that means getting motorcycle insurance or specific car insurance for your situation, for instance. It also means having a good understanding of what you can and can’t do on the road. The more prepared you are mentally, the less distracted you will be as you drive.

As long as you bear these aspects in mind, there is no reason you should get distracted in the future – or if you do, you will know how best to manage the situation.