Statistics show that there are approximately six million auto accidents in the US per year. Those accidents lead to terrible tolls of deaths and injuries, and even at a time when safety technology is improving, the rates of crashes and collisions across the country continue to make for very worrying reading. Indeed, we need to improve awareness on how to prevent car accidents.Distracted driving is biggest scourges on American roads today.Here are ways on how to prevent distracted driving and risk of road accidents.
There are many possible causes of road accidents we need to be aware of. They can be caused by someone driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or someone breaking the speed limit, or failing to use signals and mirrors when changing lanes. However, not all accidents are caused by recklessness and law-breaking. Indeed, many accidents happen due to simple distractions and moments of inattention.
Distracted driving is one of the biggest scourges on American roads today. It leads to many fatalities, injuries, and tragedies, and almost any driver can fall victim to distractions, even those who are usually safe, sensible, and focused in their approach. This guide will cover some top tips on how to prevent distracted driving and minimize the risks of distracted driving in your life.
Top Tips On How To Prevent Distracted Driving
Put Your Phone on Silent
One of the best inventions of modern times has to be the smartphone. These little devices have changed and enhanced our lives in many different ways, improving communications and connections across the globe. However, when it comes to safe driving, smartphones are actually one of the biggest causes of concern.
Many Americans admit to using their smartphones while driving, taking their eyes off the road to check social media, read messages, and send texts to their friends and family. A lot of accidents happen this way, and your phone can be the single worst distraction in your car, so switch it onto silent and avoid using it unless you’ve safely pulled over beforehand.
Consider Some Safety Apps
Even though you shouldn’t actively use your phone while driving, you can still make use of its technology to help you stay safe and become a better and more focused driver, and it’s all thanks to the plethora of safe driving apps that are out there right now, available for quick, free downloads on Android and iOS platforms.
These apps can be set up to run automatically while you drive, without any need for manual interference. They can offer various features, like automatically muting all of your notifications, sending out automated messages to your contacts to let them know that you’re driving, and even tracking your driving performance to look for areas of improvement. That’s why we can take advantage of the technological advances we have today. You can utilize a lot of mobile applications and smart gadgets to ensure safety on your next road trip.
Keep Your Car Tidy
Another useful tip for avoiding distractions in your car while you drive is to actually tidy and clean your car on a regular basis. This is a good tip for car owners in general, as it’s always a good idea to have a clean and orderly vehicle, but you might be surprised to see what a big difference it can make to your actual on-road safety.
Often, it’s the littlest things that can cause the biggest distractions, and if you let loose items like coins and bits of trash roll around on the floor of your car, they can easily distract you with noises and movements while you’re on the road. Even items of luggage or tools in the trunk can rattle around and distract you, but keeping your car tidy will reduce the odds of these annoying sounds.
Passengers Should Be a Help, Not a Hindrance
Driving around with other people in your car can bring both benefits and drawbacks to your road safety. On the one hand, passengers can be helpful when looking both ways at intersections to make sure you’re turning safely, as well as watching out for any hazards or threats on the road ahead, and you can even alternate driving duties with a passenger on long trips.
At the same time, passengers can also cause some serious distractions too. They might get into arguments with you, play around with the car radio and entertainment features, or distract you with deep discussions that could take your focus away from the road and mean that you fail to notice an oncoming vehicle, a pedestrian trying to cross, or animals in the road ahead.
Try to make sure that your passengers are helpful, rather than having them hinder your driving performance. Keep discussions light and simple, avoiding arguments, and let passengers know when you need to focus.
Final Word
Distracted driving causes a shocking number of collisions annually, but as this list shows, there are many ways you can push the odds in your favor and reduce the risks of ending up in an accident of this kind. Follow these tips to stay as safe as possible.
