When it comes to distracted driving, almost everyone is a culprit. You may not be guilty of this safety hazard on a day-to-day basis, but things happen. Often drivers participate in dangerous activities and don’t even realize it. The first step to dealing with a problem is recognizing the signs and symptoms.
Here are 4 ways distracted driving sneaks into our daily lives, and how to combat it.
- You are feeling drowsy. It’s hard.You wake up early, spend eight or more hours at work, then run errands afterwards. Most people live fairly hectic lifestyles, and it’s not unusual to push ourselves past the breaking point. Whether it’s due to medication or lack of sleep, drowsy driving is just as dangerous as distracted driving. Try your best to get a good night’s rest. If that isn’t possible, pull off the road if you feel like you are dozing off.
- You are eating and drinking. It’s often tempting to grab a snack or hot coffee for the road. What seems likes an innocent habit can turn into a disastrous mistake. Sipping on a drink or reaching your hand into a chip bag can be a huge distraction. In doing this, both your hands and your eyes leave the road. Resist consumption until you are at a stop.
- You are carpooling. Carpooling in general is not a bad thing. However, having too much going on inside your car is not always a good idea. Having a lot of passengers in your car could cause major distraction. Teen drivers are especially susceptible to distraction from friends. Actively work on avoiding situations where people pile into your vehicle.
- You are multitasking. Texting while driving is an obvious example of harmful multitasking. In addition, searching for music, playing around with the GPS and readjusting the AC also poses threats. Before you get behind the wheel, try to set up your playlist for the ride and make other adjustments.