With more than 6 million auto accidents happening every year on America’s roadways, it’s never a bad idea to step back and think about your own driving habits. How can you drive a little safer today? Do you have any bad habits that you should work on?
Distracted driving is one of the most common–and most deadly–driving epidemics in the country. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving led to almost 3,200 fatal auto accidents in 2017. If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us are probably distracted behind the wheel more frequently than we realize. But if we’re a little more aware of our own driving behavior, hopefully, we can reduce the frequency of crashes.
In this post, we’ll give a quick list of six easy things you can do to help fight the distracted driving problem.
6 Ways to Reduce Distractions While Driving
1. Put Down the Phone
Texas has a texting while driving ban and may make the move to ban all use of cell phones while driving unless you’re doing so hands-free. Picking up the phone is still easily the most common cause of distracted driving crashes.
2. Don’t Try to Multitask
People claim to be good at multitasking, but the science is showing that our brains just aren’t wired to think about more than one thing at a time. Our brains don’t handle multiple tasks at once; instead, the brain switches back and forth between tasks. That’s a bad thing when your main task is driving a heavy object at high speed, like a car.
3. Know Your Route
Those big screens in newer cars are nice. But staring at a screen because its GPS shows your route means your eyes aren’t on the road. The better you can understand your route without referring to a screen, the better.
4. Set Limits on Teen Drivers
Distracted driving is a key factor in 58 percent of all auto accidents involving teenagers. The biggest distraction? Too many passengers and passengers that are too loud. If you have a teenage driver, try to limit the number of passengers he or she carries until they are more experienced.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up
If you’re a passenger in a car and the driver seems distracted, don’t be afraid to say that you wish they would pay more attention to the road. You’ll be making yourself and everyone else on the road a little safer.
6. Pick Up Fallen Items Later
It’s definitely annoying to drop a pen or some change under your seat, but don’t try to find those fallen items while your car is moving. All that reaching takes your mind off the main task: keeping your car on the road.
Hurt in a Texas Auto Accident? Talk to Us.
If you were injured in a crash on Texas roads, the attorneys of Ted B. Lyon & Associates are here to help. Our Dallas injury lawyers are some of the most experienced in the state, and we’ve handled hundreds of cases where people were hurt by distracted drivers. Give us a call at 877-Ted-Lyon / 877-833-5966 or email us to get started.
Sources:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
https://www.teendriversource.org/teen-crash-risks-prevention/distracted-driving
