If you drive often, you probably understand that a wreck can happen at any time. That’s why you should never drink and drive, exceed the speed limit, or do anything similar that might cause a crash. However, if you look at the anatomy of wrecks in the modern era, you may realize you’ve been guilty of a certain practice that often causes them.
Distracted driving causes many accidents every year, and even the best drivers can occasionally engage in this behavior. In this article, we’ll talk about five of the things that distract drivers the most these days. If you know about them, you can avoid letting them steal your attention while you’re behind the wheel.
Smartphones
Nearly everyone walks around with a smartphone these days, and you will probably have yours with you in the car as well. That’s usually a good idea.
If you get in an accident, you can use your smartphone to call for help. If you have kids, and they have smartphones as well, you also want to have your phone on you just in case they need you and want to reach out.
Smartphones cause a lot of car accidents, though. If you look at car crash stats, the numbers back that up. You can probably assume that even more crashes happen with smartphone involvement, but the participants don’t want to admit it.
If you have your smartphone with you while you’re driving, you need to put it in a place where it won’t distract you. That usually means putting it in your pants pocket or in your purse.
If you feel like you might still reach for it in those locations, then you might put it in the glove compartment or the car’s center consol instead. Even if you get a text message or you hear it ring, it’s best that you wait till you get to your destination and turn off the car before you look at who’s texting or calling.
Car Navigation Systems
Many modern cars come with interactive touchscreens. They often have many features. You will likely enjoy getting to know all the different things that your touchscreen can do.
It might very well have a navigation system. If you’re going somewhere you’ve never been to before, then you will likely want to input the address so that the system can help you locate it.
You can have the navigation system give you directions out loud while you’re driving. However, you may still glance at the screen from time to time.
If you can glance at the screen with your peripheral vision while still keeping your eyes on the road, then maybe that’s okay. You can’t let the screen distract you to the point where you’re completely taking your vision away from what’s ahead of you, though.
If you do, then you might plow into the car ahead of you if it stops suddenly. You may not react in time if an animal runs across the road.
If you have someone in the car with you, then you can ask them if they can handle the directions. You can have the system on, but your passenger can tell you when you need to turn instead.
Food and Drinks
If you are hungry while you’re out driving around, then you might decide to stop at your favorite fast-food restaurant for lunch or dinner. Maybe you will stop there for breakfast during your morning commute.
When you get your favorite burger or taco, though, you need to not let it distract you while you are driving. You should only have food or drinks in the car if you feel like you will not try to consume them before you get to your destination.
It is not the worst thing in the world if you sip your drink while you are sitting at a red light, provided you keep your eyes on the road while you do it. Maybe you can grab some fries from the bag as well.
If you are trying to unwrap a burger or open a container of sauce while you are driving, though, that’s asking for trouble. Such behavior can absolutely cause an accident.
The Radio
You might listen to the radio while you’re driving. Many modern cars come equipped with satellite radio with innumerable stations. You might listen to your favorite podcast as well.
If you let the radio distract you, though, that can also cause a wreck. Maybe you’re flipping through the stations, trying to find a song that you like. Perhaps you have music from your phone playing instead.
No matter the source of the music or podcast that you’re listening to, you can’t let it distract you to the point where you cause an accident. Wait to change the station or to find a song that you like from your playlist while you’re waiting at a red light.
Passengers
You might also let your passengers distract you. If that happens, then maybe it’s because you have your spouse or partner in the front seat, and you’re arguing. Perhaps you have your kids in the back seat, and they’re singing or crying.
If you’re having a heated discussion with someone in the car, tell them that you don’t want to continue the conversation then. You can wait till you’re parked somewhere or at your destination before you bring up the topic again. Maybe they won’t like hearing that much, but you’re trying to avoid a crash.
If you have kids in the back seat, and you know that they’re at an age where you might distract you with their behavior, try to provide them with something before you start driving that you think will hold their attention. Maybe you’ll give them a book or toy.
If you watch out for all of these behaviors, then you can probably get to your destination safely. Other drivers and your passengers will thank you for that.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.