Distracted driving is the cause of 16% of car crash fatalities every year. While that’s a lower number than that caused by drunk driving (32%), it’s still a significant amount. Before you find yourself in a situation where you need to find a lawyer, read on for four tips about how to avoid distracted driving.
How to Avoid Distracted Driving: Get Organized
One of the biggest reasons for distracted driving is people rummaging around for things in the car. This is easily avoided if you just get organized before you head out. Make sure you’ve already set up your route in the GPS, that your coffee is where you can reach it, and that anything you might need–like change for tolls–is already counted out and prepared. Don’t take your eyes off the road to hunt through bags and glove compartments.
How to Avoid Distracted Driving: Put Away the Phone
At any moment during the daylight hours, about 660,000 drivers in the United States are using a cell phone or other electronic device while they drive. Car accident lawyers are constantly needed to work through accident cases caused by cell phones. Don’t be afraid to simply turn your phone off, and never ever answer a call unless it’s through your car’s Bluetooth system and is hands-free. More than anything else, don’t ever text while driving. Ever. For any reason.
How to Avoid Distracted Driving: Use the Drive to Relax
Most of us are going 24/7. It’s very hard to find down time. You might not think of your commute as a time to relax, but have you ever tried turning off the phone, the music, and the radio? Have you tried asking the passengers to be quiet? You might be amazed at how much easier it is to concentrate, and how well you can focus and collect your thoughts, when there’s nothing but you and the drive.
How to Avoid Distracted Driving: Choose Another Time to Argue
Whether it’s a passenger in the car or someone on the other line of a Bluetooth call, don’t spend your time on the road in serious discussion or even working through all your stresses. it’s not worth your life or anyone else’s to have that argument right now: whatever it is, it can wait.
If you’re in an accident, the first thing you want to do is get a good attorney on your side. Even better, though, is to avoid getting into an accident in the first place. While you can’t control things like the weather or the behavior of others, you can control your own driving. Takes steps to make sure you’re never driving distracted and minimize the chances that you’ll ever be in a serious accident.