Eliminating your distracted driving habits can help you become a better driver, and save lives. In Washington state, 30 percent of crash fatalities are due to distracted driving, according to Washington’s Traffic Safety Commission.
Phones are the biggest culprit of distracted driving, as drivers are three times more likely to be in a crash when talking on the phone. But there are many other ways you can be distracted: changing the radio station, adjusting the navigation system, digging through a bag in the passenger seat to find something, or focusing on something off the road.
It only takes a few seconds of not paying attention to cause a crash. As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration put it, taking 5 seconds to send a text while going 55 miles per hour is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
Here are driving tips to help you eliminate distractions so you can keep yourself, your passengers, and your fellow community members safe while out on the road.
To help eliminate distracting behaviors, it’s important to know the laws in your areas. In Washington state, it’s against the law to hold a cell phone while driving. You can only use a phone if you are parked, out of the flow of traffic, if it’s an emergency, or if you can start use by a single touch or swipe of your finger, the Traffic Safety Commission reports.
The majority of states have some form of a phone ban, with 48 states banning texting while driving, and 36 states banning cell phone use for novice drivers. You can catch up on the latest laws in your state through the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Phones are endlessly distracting. It’s understandable that we feel a strong urge to look at a text when we hear a ping or pick up the phone when it rings. To help combat this urge, many phones offer a driving mode option, which silences or limits notifications and can alert people that you are driving, and will respond later. Learn more about setting up this option on IPhone or Android.
Before leaving your home, set up whatever navigation system you will be using so it’s ready to go before you exit your driveway. Make sure the volume is set to whatever is most useful and that alerts for turns are enabled. If you enjoy listening to music or podcasts, have those set up ahead of time too, so you don’t distract yourself by searching through apps or fiddling with knobs in your car.
It takes practice for young children to understand that they don’t get their favorite adult’s undivided attention while they’re in the car. Luckily, there are some tips for helping keep children occupied and quiet while driving so that you can concentrate. Make sure everyone has snacks that they can easily open or access on their own and that are safe for them to eat without supervision. You can give them small, age-appropriate games to play, books to look at, or audiobooks to listen to. A podcast that’s age appropriate may even keep the whole car entertained!
Some events may arise while driving that require your undivided attention. Rather than trying to multitask, pull over to a safe spot to address these issues. Getting somewhere in a timely manner is never going to be more important than your safety and the safety of those around you.
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