You probably already know that messing around with your phone while driving is textbook distracted driving behavior. What you may not realize is that not all forms of distraction involve technology.
Some of the things you may routinely do in your own vehicle as part of your daily commute could actually distract you and reduce your safety. Any action that takes your hands off the wheel, takes your eyes off the road or requires that you mentally focused on something other than driving is a distraction that puts you and other people on the road at risk.
Grooming, eating and vehicle adjustments should be done at home
Trying to save time in your morning routine is an admirable pursuit, provided that it doesn’t affect your safety or anyone else’s. Multitasking while at home getting ready for work is one thing, but trying to multitask at the wheel could be a dangerous mistake.
Eating a breakfast burrito means that both your hands and your mind are otherwise occupied while you drive. Changing your clothing or doing your hair could mean at you spend more time looking at yourself in the mirror then you do at the traffic around you.
Additionally, taking your hands off the wheel and your eyes off the road to adjust your mirrors or seat while already driving could easily lead to a crash, which is why it is so important to make those adjustments before you leave your home.
Conversations and entertainment can also be major distractions
Whether you are on the phone with someone or talking to a passenger in your vehicle, the conversations you have with other people could easily take your mind off of driving to the point where you aren’t safe anymore.
Additionally, the things you do to make your commute more tolerable, like singing along to the radio or listening to a book on tape, could also leave you so distracted that you aren’t adequately monitoring your surroundings for safety. Even daydreaming while in traffic could be a source of unnecessary risk for you and everyone else on the road.
Keeping your focus on the road can help you avoid a crash. Doing your part to drive safely, however, doesn’t guarantee that other drivers will do the same. If you’re the victim of another person’s distracted driving, find out how you can claim compensation for your losses.