Driving distractions are responsible for a large number of accidents when riding casually every year. While drunk driving and speeding are also leading culprits for road collisions, you can easily avoid driving distractions to reduce your risk as a driver. To be a safer road user, you should consider these common distractions each time you head off on a journey.
Cell Phones
Using a cell phone while driving has the same effects as drinking and driving on a cognitive level. Studies have been done on drivers while using a cell phone and the reaction times are the same as a drunk driver. Even though it’s against the law, many people still do it. Your Phone call can wait but putting other lives and your own life in danger because you can’t wait to send a message or call someone is not a good idea; instead, you should get to a safe place to call.
Eating And Drinking
It’s a modern-day lifestyle to have a busy schedule these days have a busy schedule but eating and drinking while driving is also dangerous. Dropping hot coffee, food falling by the pedals, looking for a place to put your food; a collision can happen in a matter of seconds; enough time to crash into the person in front of you or hit a pedestrian.
Rubbernecking
Rubbernecking is looking at something of interest for a little too long. People naturally start driving in the direction of something they look at for a few seconds if they find it interesting, such as a catchy billboard. So you will end up changing lanes without even realizing it and probably sideswipe a car next to you. Keep your eyes on the road; all those adverts are for the passengers or people not driving.
Car Radios And GPS
These are features in a car that can be a distraction; changing the radio station and looking at the radio while doing so takes your eyes off the road and it distracts you from driving. GPS can also cause you to take your eyes off the road for a short time looking at the next turn-off.
Passengers
When You are talking while driving is also known as a cognitive distraction, you naturally concentrate less on the road and more on the conversation while driving. When on the road, try to keep the conversations to a minimum; talking and driving and talking can be a distraction and can cause you to miss a turn or even an accident.
Fatigued Driving
This is just as bad as driving while drunk. If you are tired, pull over, stretch, have a restroom break get a cup of coffee. Your reaction time while driving is just as slow as a drunk driver and your concentration to stay in the same lane and not swerve is the same as a driver under the influence of alcohol.
Even a split second of taking your eyes off the road is enough time to cause an accident; if you are looking at a billboard for half a second and the driver in front slams on breaks, you will be involved in a collision. It’s the driver’s responsibility to prevent distractions and keep both hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road.
