It’s common knowledge you should focus ONLY on the road when driving, but many drivers let distractions interfere with driving safely at all times. With April being Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the United States, this post is here to supply you with ways to stay focused while driving. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), our roads are the most dangerous they’ve been in years; on a typical day, eight people are killed and hundreds more are injured in distraction-affected crashes. Therefore, you can never be too cautious about keeping our roads safe for yourself, passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
DO’S:
Avoid Distractions – If you MUST send or receive a text, pull over to a safe location and park your car first. If you have passengers, ask someone to be a “designated texter” to handle your phone calls and texting. Cell phone use is habit-forming, and if you can’t resist the temptation to look at your phone, activate your phone’s “Do Not Disturb” function, or put your phone in your back seat, glove box, or trunk until you reach your destination. Go Hands-Free – Most newer cars come equipped with Bluetooth technology, so take advantage of voice-to-text features in the vehicle’s dashboard system. If your car doesn’t have this feature, invest in a Bluetooth speaker or headset so you can make and receive calls with minimal distractions. Allow Yourself Plenty of Time to Reach your Destination – Avoid speeding and reckless driving by planning your time wisely. Make it a point to leave five to ten minutes earlier than you normally would. Input the GPS Destination Before you Begin Driving– Never While in Motion – If you need to enter GPS on your phone while driving, take the time to pull over to a safe location to enter the route or have a passenger handle it for you. Luckily, many cars with built-in/Bluetooth GPS already prevent drivers from making changes to the route while the car is in motion. Take the pledge to not text and drive. It can wait – No text or social media post is worth the potentially deadly consequences. The National Safety Council is taking safe driving to the next level with its “Just Drive” pledge. Although utilizing Bluetooth and hands-free technology (as mentioned above) is safer than the alternative, the BEST way to stay focused on the road is to JUST DRIVE! Discover more about the pledge on the National Safety Council’s (NSC) website.
DON’TS:
Use social media such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, etc. Take photos (including selfies) or film videos Check or send emails or texts
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