Distracted driving has become a serious and deadly epidemic, especially since the arrival of smartphone technology. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) calls distracted driving “dangerous,” and noted how it claimed the lives of 3,166 people in 2017 alone. But they’re not the only agency concerned. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Each day in the United States, approximately 9 people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.”
What Are the Biggest Distractions?
What is distracted driving? It’s an activity that takes the driver’s attention away from the primary task of driving. The concern with distracted driving is that it increases the risk of a motor vehicle crash. When it comes to distracted driving, the possibilities are endless, but there are definitely certain forms of driver distraction that cause more crashes than others. The following are some of the biggest sources of driver distraction that you should watch out for and avoid while you’re the one behind the wheel:
- Texting while driving
- Dialing numbers while driving
- Reading texts while driving
- Reading a Google map on a smartphone while driving
- Looking at a device while driving
- Eating while driving
- Applying makeup while driving
- Talking with passengers who expect eye contact while driving
- Children who distract the driver
- Animals who are roaming around the vehicle while driving
- Answering a phone while driving
- Operating a GPS navigation system while driving
Safe Driving Tips
To prevent distracted driving accidents, follow these safe driving tips:
- Do not touch your cellphone while driving.
- Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, including prescription drugs that impair driving ability.
- Avoid driving with animals in the vehicle that is not restrained in an animal carrier or safety belt.
- Always drive defensively. You can be the best driver in the world but that cannot keep you safe from other distracted drivers.
- Always wear a seatbelt and insist your passengers do the same.
- Expect that other drivers can make mistakes and think ahead. For example, if you see a driver coming to a stop sign, assume they may not stop and decide ahead of time how you will react.
- When you’re driving behind other vehicles, keep a four-second following distance.
- Do not engage in distracted driving behaviors, such as eating while driving, and texting while driving, etc.
To read more safe driving tips, check out Nationwide’s website. Were you injured in an accident at the hands of a distracted driver? To file a personal injury claim in Plano or the surrounding areas, contact The Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC.