Tips to maintain focus while driving
It is a multitasking, second-screen kind of world. Self-driving cars should be here by now, but they aren’t quite there yet. Those two facts add up to a great deal of pain, fatalities and loss due to drivers who were distracted by mobile devices. To fight this trend, the U.S. DOT’s initiative Distraction.gov has numerous great resources in an attempt to make it clear to drivers exactly how dangerous it is when you lose focus while driving.
Here are the sobering facts: *More than 4,000 people were killed or injured by distracted driving in 2012. That number has been increasing steadily as new technologies come online and additional demands are made on commuters. Around 1 in every 10 drivers under 20 years old who were involved in fatal crashes were distracted. At any given moment, more than 660,000 drivers are attempting to use mobile devices while they drive. It is a senseless and pointless waste of life and there is no reason it cannot end right now. It is not lack of attention but lapses of attention that destroy many thousands of lives every year.
All of the most common distractions can and should be put off until the car is at rest, including:
- Texting
- Using a cell phone or smartphone
- Eating and drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Grooming
- Reading, including maps
- Using a navigation system
- Watching a video
- Adjusting a radio, CD player or MP3 player
Driving becomes so automatic after many years that most people feel as though they have it all under control. A quick glance shouldn’t make any difference. Here are a three suggestions on how to resist the temptation to endanger yourself and those around you.
- Never text while driving. Not even once. The average time people take their eyes off the road to text is five seconds. At 55 mph, that’s enough time to cover a football field. If not for yourself, consider the lives of others.
- Around 9 out of 10 drivers support laws that ban texting while driving. Support them by speaking up and staying firm if someone you know is using a mobile device while driving.
- Turn off your phone while driving. Research indicates that the distraction of talking on a phone, even using hands-free devices, can obscure critical visual and auditory cues of danger on the road.
There are definitely financial rewards for safe driving. Answer Financial can track down safe driving discounts for drivers who avoid accidents by putting aside all distractions and acting responsibly. In addition, insurance policies change constantly, so it is worth your time to have Answer Financial compare policies regularly. We can even help find better rates for your next generation of drivers and all of their many distractions. Set a good example for teenager drivers by visiting our website or calling us today at 1-866-635-7777, but make sure you’re out of the car first.
July 31, 2014