Distracted driving isn’t just “one of those things” that happens, like a tire blowout or mechanical failure that isn’t anyone’s fault. It’s 100% preventable – and by committing to avoiding distractions while you drive, you’ll help make the road safer for everyone.
We most often hear that texting and driving being distracted driving, but it is far more. Do you realize that distracted driving has been happening for decades? Most people don't think about switching music being a distraction. In the 1970's it was changing 8-tracks; in the 80's it was changing cassettes; in the 90's, it was changing CDs; and now, it is scrolling through music on your phone or...
This month, we talked about avoiding common driving practices that are very dangerous. Here's a list to all 10 parts plus the supplemental article. Part 1: Reading While Driving Part 2: Avoid Texting While Driving Part 3: Driving with your Knees Part 4: Driving with Something or Someone in your Lap Part 5: Driving with Headphones Part 6: Changing Clothes or Applying Makeup Part 7: Grabbing...
(Series: 10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving) Here’s a few statistics about distracted driving from a 2014 review published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Dialing a cell phone increases the risk of a crash by 8X. Reaching for a cell phone increases the risk of a crash or near crash by 7.02X. Sending or receiving text messages increases the risk of crash by 3.82X. Reaching for...
(Series: 10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving) It’s common for drivers to get upset. Many times a person is distraught in some way before they even enter their car – a disappointment occurred, an argument happened, a trauma was experienced. Road rage is not just getting upset at another driver. All a motorist needs to do is be in a negative mindset. Driving with a negative mindset...
(Series: 10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving) Eating some chips or a piece of fruit may not cause an accident for most people as long as retrieving the food does not mean grabbing for something out of reach. However, if your teen is inexperienced or has a learning disability, the risk of a crash increases almost 3X over those who did not eat. The distraction could happen when they...
(Series: 10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving) You are driving down the road and your stomach grumbles. “I’ve got a granola bar in my backpack in the back seat.” You reach back to a pack that is just barely at the tip of your fingers. If you just turn and reach back a little farther… That’s bad news. Several things are happening. Your mind is distracted from driving and what is...
(Series: 10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving) There’s an old saying: “It’s a car crash waiting to happen.” That proverb applies easily when a person is trying to change clothes while driving. It involves taking your hands off the steering wheel, interrupts your foot’s contact with the brake or gas pedal, and obscures your eyes from seeing the road. The risk is increased...
(Series: 10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving) There are two ways that we perceive what is happening around us when we drive: sight and sound. If you are using headphones when you drive, you eliminate half of your perception! You might wonder how deaf people drive. Because they are used to being deaf, they are more alert. On the other hand, a person wanting to listen to “I Can’t...
(Series: 10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving) Seeing a car moving down the road with a big dog head leaning out the back window often causes a smile. Unfortunately, it is common for people to drive with their pet or even their child in their lap, and that is unsafe. For the driver, they are trying to show care and affection as they pet their dog (or other animal). It is not as common...
