15 Distracted Driving Habits You Need To Break For Your Own Safety

Our society has become so fast paced and hurried.  We pride ourselves on the amount of things we can do in multitasking and race ourselves to see how many items we can get crossed off of our to-do list each day.  While being productive, efficient individuals is a wonderful goal to work toward, it isn’t when we try to do things that make us take part in distracted driving on the roads.  Distracted driving is the cause of more and more automobile accidents. An accident will more than likely mean damage to the vehicles involved, injuries to the people within these vehicles, and a legal case to resolve with the assistance of a car accident lawyer. When we are driving, we need to be responsible and give our driving 100% of our attention so that we and our passengers arrive safely at our destinations.

 

1. Texting While Driving

One of the very worst distracted driving habits you can take part in is texting while driving.  Texting while driving is extremely dangerous.  It takes your attention and your eyes off of the road.  You think that you are in control of your car and your texting and then you suddenly look up and there is another car right in front of you or you are going over into the median.  Texting while driving is an extremely dangerous form of distracted driving.  It also sets a terrible example for your children.  If you text and drive, you can expect that they will do the same thing because they have watched you.  It is important to drive the way you want them to drive.

2. Applying Makeup While Driving

Most women are guilty of this distracted driving habit at some point and time or another.  You don’t plan to apply our makeup while driving but you find yourself running behind time again and the only time to apply your mascara or lipstick is behind the wheel.  When you do this, you have taken your eyes off the road.  Stop this distracted driving habit by reworking your schedule you follow when you get ready to leave the house.  Maybe you need to get up earlier or get an easier, quicker makeup routine to use so that you are not committing this distracted driving habit any longer.

3. Speeding

Speeding is a terrible driving habit and it can absolutely fall under the list of distracted driving habits you need to stop.  A lot of times, you aren’t aware you are speeding because you are not paying close enough attention to your speed.  You are busy doing something else behind the wheel or they just let their mind wander so that their attention is far from where it should be.  You are just driving along on autopilot.  This is a dangerous place to find yourself.  Make it a point to glance at your speedometer every couple of minutes to make sure that you are not breaking a law or putting yourself in danger. In the unfortunate event that you are involved in an accident due to speeding or other driving distractions, seeking legal advice from a car accident law firm can be essential to protect your rights and navigate the legal aftermath. There is no accounting for other drivers on the road, so even if you are being a careful and attentive driver, you can still become involved in an accident. For this reason, you may want to do some research on car accident attorneys you could possibly contact should this ever happen to you.

4. Eating While Driving

Eating while driving forces you to take part in distracted driving.  You are trying to eat and drink while guiding your car.  You are looking down at your food or using your napkin.  A lot of times people eat on the run because they do not allow themselves enough time to eat before we leave home.  The simple solution for this is to manage our time better.  Set your clock for 15 minutes earlier to eat before leaving or pack up your food to eat when you arrive at your destination.  If you must go through a drive through for your children, wait until you have put your car in park before you have your meal.

5. Fiddling With Your Radio

Fiddling with your radio is one of the oldest distracted driving habits that there is.  Adjusting your radio to another station or adjusting the volume while driving is not a good idea.  It is best to leave your radio set to one specific station while you are driving.  You can also ask your passenger to assist you by changing the station or use the controls that have been placed on the steering wheel to control your radio so that you never have to take one of your hands off of the wheel.  Listening to a song you don’t care for is a much better alternative than a car accident.

6. Caring For Your Child

There is no question about it; your children need your time and attention especially when they are very small.  But trying to care for your child while you are driving is another form of distracted driving.  If you need to care for your child, pull off to the side of the road in a safe location to attend to their needs.  It is also a good idea to make sure that they have been fed and their needs are met as much as you can anticipate before you leave home.  Likewise, try to be sure that your children have something to keep them entertained during the drive so that you are not distracted by their fussing.

7. Talking On Your Cell

Talking on your cell phone may be the most common distracted driving habit because people are so connected to their cell phones.  Many people do not even have home phones anymore so they are receiving all of their calls on their cell phones.  But driving while talking on your cell phone is not a good idea.  Even though your eyes are on the road, your mind is elsewhere so you are not paying attention the way you should be.  If you receive a call while driving, pull off of the road or don’t answer the call.

8. Surfing The Net

There are other ways that your cell phone can cause you to take part in distracted driving.  You don’t have to be texting or talking on it.  Using your cell phone to surf the net is every bit as dangerous.  It still takes your attention off of the road.  The internet is a marvelous invention that has brought us many conveniences but save your pleasure browsing for when you have time to enjoy it safely.  Driving while surfing the net is a very dangerous behavior that causes many automobile accidents because people are not paying attention like they should.

9. Driving When You Are Sleepy

Driving while you are sleepy is a distracted driving habit you want to avoid at all costs.  If you fall asleep while you are driving, you are beyond distracted, you are not present to drive at all and a wreck is unavoidable.  Many wrecks happen because drivers fall asleep while driving.  It is important to figure out why you are sleepy.  Having a late night is an easy explanation but if you are going to bed at a reasonable time, there may be more going on such as health problems that would cause you to be sleepy.  See your doctor if the sleepiness persists to make sure you are in good health.

10. Driving On Medications That Affect You

Medications can help us to have a higher quality of life and keep our bodies functioning the way they are supposed to.  But many medications have side effects that can affect your ability to drive.  It is important to know your medications and the possible side effects that they could give you and plan accordingly in how to manage them.  You can check your medications for warning labels.  There are many different pain medications that can affect your ability to drive including antihistamines, prescription pain medications and antidepressants.

11. Having The Radio Turned Up Too Loud

Not only is adjusting your radio while driving an example of a distracted driving habit but having your radio turned up too loudly is as well.  When you have your radio turned up too loudly, you are not able to hear sounds around you that you need to hear to know what is going on.  You might miss hearing the sirens of an oncoming emergency vehicle, a horn honking out a warning to your or many other sounds you need to be alert for while driving.  It is best to keep your radio at a moderate volume while you are operating a vehicle.

12. Writing

Most of us are guilty of writing things down on occasion when we are driving.  Maybe we need to hurry and get our banking papers together before we reach the bank, write our child a school excuse or maybe just add one more item to the grocery list.  Whatever you are writing, it can wait.  Writing while driving is a dangerous form of distracted driving.  You are trying to hold the paper, write and watch the road all at one time and it simply cannot be done.  Wait until you have placed your car in park somewhere before taking care of details such as these.

13. Driving With One Hand On The Wheel

Many of the distracted driving habits mentioned have been habits that require you to drive with only one hand on the wheel.  But sometimes we drive with only one hand on the wheel for no apparent reason other than the fact that this is a comfortable position for us to drive in.  Comfortable as it may be, it is not a safe position.  It is recommended that you keep both hands on the wheel because that is the safest position for you to use for driving.  If you should need to quickly jerk your car out of the way of danger, you would need both hands.

14. Arguing With Your Partner

When you are in a relationship, arguments are going to happen on occasion.  But arguing while in the car and one of you is driving is a bad idea.  If you find that you are in disagreement about something while you are driving, find a place to pull over and talk through it or agree to wait until you get home to handle the disagreement you are having.  Although it may not seem like it, this is a distracted driving habit because when you are arguing, your attention is elsewhere and you are emotionally upset, which is a state you should never drive in under any circumstances.

15. Reaching For Something In The Floorboard

Reaching for something in the floorboard of your vehicle is an extremely dangerous activity to attempt while you are driving.  What can very easily happen is you reach down into the floorboard to retrieve something and when you raise back up you find that you have accidentally steered your car into the other lane or off the side of the road.  Whatever is in the floorboard, leave it there or pull off the road to get it.  You cannot possibly drive well if you are not even looking at the road to see where you are going.  Distracted driving is dangerous driving.