Let’s face it, a lot of us have probably engaged in a very slight amount of distracted driving in the past. Perhaps you reached over to end a call on your phone, maybe you turned to look at your friend while you were driving, or you might’ve even just dozed off for a second on a long road trip.
Though seemingly innocent, distracted driving is far more dangerous than you think. It’s crucial that we build up habits that help us keep our eyes on the road. Let’s explore some of the reasons why distracted driving is such a problem and what you can do to build better driving habits.
Distracted driving moves your attention off the road
When you’re distracted, your attention is moved away from the road. If you haven’t built up muscle memory behind the wheel, then it can make driving more difficult because you aren’t as familiar with the hand and feet movements in driving. Naturally, if you’re distracted by looking at your phone, then not only are your eyes not looking at where they’re supposed to be, but your brainpower is being taken up by other tasks as well.
As you can imagine, taking your eyes off the road is a disaster waiting to happen. Look away for a moment and you could end up crashing into the car in front of you, you might collide with someone who was crossing the road, or you might miss a crucial road sign. The difference between a minor and fatal accident could just be the few seconds you need to quickly react to a bad situation. If you’re not alert, then you’ll end up in an accident.
I recommend putting away any kind of distractions, such as your phone, and keeping them either off or in do not disturb mode so that people know you’re driving. If you really have to answer a call, pull over for a moment.
Be wary of using your phone to answer calls through your car’s dashboard, as even thinking about the conversation can take your attention away from the road as a new driver. This isn’t as big of an issue for experienced drivers, but can still catch people off guard. The same goes for conversations in the car. Try not to get too into a debate or something because you might be tempted to look over at the other people in the conversation!
Distracted driving slows your reaction times
I briefly mentioned this earlier, but let me elaborate a bit more so you can understand just how important it is to gain those precious seconds when reacting to a crash or similar situation.
Research on reaction time and speed shows that speed matters when you crash. Crashing is obviously not something we want, but it’s unavoidable at times due to other drivers. The best thing you can hope for is reducing your speed so that the crash is less impactful.
When you’re distracted, those few seconds that you should’ve spent analyzing the situation will be wasted. If you had your eyes on the road the whole time, then it’s probable that you could’ve slowed down your speed much sooner, leading to a less impactful accident. In some cases, a better reaction time could be the difference between a head-on crash and a near-miss.
It’s a good idea to keep these things in mind. Even just a second or two of extra time is enough to prevent a fatal accident on the road. If you’re too busy looking at your phone or distracted by something else, then your reaction time is going to be slower.
Distractions can lead to impaired decision-making
Distractions can also interfere with your ability to make good decisions when driving. Should you speed up in response to the drivers around you? Is there a possibility that the person in front of you might make a bad driving decision? Would it be likely that a car is going to come out from behind that building? These are mental questions that we subconsciously ask ourselves all the time when driving because it helps us make better driving decisions.
However, if you’re distracted, then your mind drifts away from the act of driving, and this can easily lead to a car crash. Drivers who are engaged in conversions might fail to notice the actions of other drivers around them, and this can be extremely dangerous. They aren’t able to visualize what could happen on the road, ultimately leading to bad decision-making.
Don’t overestimate your ability to multitask. Even if it’s something as simple as talking to the passenger next to you, you should always keep your focus on the road–especially if you’re new to driving!
Other potential distractions that you might be unaware of
The last thing you want is to end up calling a car accident lawyer because of a crash that you could’ve avoided in the first place. Distracted driving is dangerous and leads to many accidents on the road, and we tend to focus on the big obvious distractions such as the ones we’ve mentioned already.
- Driving while tired can be considered a driving distraction because it’s taking your mind off the road and on your decisions as a driver. Research suggests that driving while tired is just as bad, if not worse, than driving under the influence.
- Driving in bad weather conditions is another problem that you might face. Strong winds, stormy rain, or even heavy snow can take your mind off the road as well. Try to prepare your vehicle for these conditions if possible, such as getting the right tires.
- Roadside attractions such as eye-catching billboards and beautiful views can be surprisingly distracting too. If you want to admire these, it’s best to pull over and soak in the sights at your own leisure–not while you’re driving!
Distracted driving is no doubt dangerous, but not everyone fully understands the consequences. Hopefully, this article has encouraged you to think more carefully about how you drive and what to consider a distraction.
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