While driving in Rochester, you need to be conscious of your safety and that of other road users at all times. This should enable you to drive safely and get to and from your destination safely. Over 4,000 people nationwide are killed in fatal truck accidents and another 90,000 people sustain serious injuries every year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Distracted driving can cause a number of road accidents. Read on to see what the most common causes of distracted driving are so that you can better avoid them.
Fiddling With Your Mobile Phone
The mobile phone is single-handedly the biggest distraction for most drivers while they’re on the road. From reading and responding to text messages and emails to making calls or even looking at pictures, there’s a lot that you could do on your phone and get distracted from driving. This makes it important for you to change your habits and form new ones as far as your phone goes.
Whenever you have to drive somewhere, for instance, you should put your phone on silent and ignore it until you get to your destination. If this isn’t an option that could work for you, get an application or gadget that’ll allow you to interact with your phone without having to look at it or handle it with your hands.
Passengers in the Car
Passengers in your car can also be a major distraction so it’s important to minimize the risk of distractions arising that’ll call for your attention and make you stop focusing on the road, even for a second. For instance, avoid driving with people who are inebriated or under the influence of drugs because they lack proper judgment and could do something that’ll cause you to stop paying attention, especially if you’re not a seasoned driver.
If you’re driving with kids around Rochester, make sure that each one is in their seat and they have their seatbelt fastened. As long as they’re comfortable and secure when you leave, they shouldn’t be a point of concern for you while you drive. Human error, according to National Safety Council, is the reason behind 90% of auto accidents. This makes it crucial for you to focus on the road at all times since the risk of an accident with distraction is high.
Driving Under the Influence
Last but not least, driving under the influence of alcohol is one of the most important things to avoid. This is because you won’t be able to respond in real time to situations on the road as they arise. You’ll also be subject to making poor judgments and may underestimate or overestimate something crucial that’ll leave you prone to causing an accident.
Note that 19.2% of couples say that they divorced as a result of incompatibility while for 10.6%, it was due to drug abuse or drinking. This is based on a study published in the Journal of Family Issues and it shows just how far-reaching the effects of drinking can be. Clearly, if you can cut out alcohol from your entire life and not just while driving, you’ll notice a major improvement.
Take note of these common causes of distracted driving and do your best to avoid falling victim to any of them. It may be difficult to quit a habit such as looking through your phone to find the right playlist or responding to a text. Just remember that by doing these, you put your life as well as the lives of passengers in your car and other road users at a risk that could have been avoided.
