TGR Staff - 09/20/2022

You might be a confident driver, but there is one thing that you and so many other drivers are guilty of that can have a major impact on your quality of driving. Being distracted is incredibly harmful. With the statistics being particularly alarming on distracted driving, such as 9 Americans being killed every day by distracted driving and cell phones being just as dangerous as speeding, it's vital that we all learn how to beat distraction. What can we do to stop this epidemic once and for all?

Understanding the Types of Distractions

There are three different ways that we find ourselves distracted on the road. There are visual distractions, when we take our eyes off the road, physical distractions are when we take our hands off the wheel, and cognitive distractions, which are external noises or internal thoughts. A car accident lawyer will tell you about physical distractions being one of the major issues that take their toll, not just in terms of using cell phones but also eating or drinking. Additionally, changing the radio station can all contribute to physical distractions. So what can we do to prevent these major distractions?

Commit to the Driving

Multitasking has long been shown as a way to not do things properly. You should never attempt to multitask, and even if there are things that demand your attention, you've got to fully focus on the task at hand and avoid any distractions, no matter how much they are trying to overwhelm you. You should keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

Not Responding to Distractions

You need to ensure that, whether you've got pets or children, they know you cannot help while you are behind the wheel. If there's something that demands their attention, you've got to pull over. It's not just about making sure that they are secure in the car, but about actually telling them that they should not be interrupting you while you are focused on the road.

Hide Away Your Cell Phone

As obvious as it sounds, you need to put it out of sight and out of mind. Put it on silent and make sure that you don't feel distracted by any buzzing or beeps.

Is It Something That Needs Doing Now?

One of the big problems we all have these days is because we're rushing around, we think that we need to do things while we are on the road. You've got to finish grooming yourself or have intense conversations outside of the car.

Get Yourself Focused

You need to be on the road and you need to be focused, therefore, you need to ensure that you have the right levels of concentration, but you also need to take the pressure off yourself. For example, you should not feel the pressure to respond to a text when you are on the road, and the best thing you can do is to communicate to others that you are going to be on the road and will not be contactable.

Distracted driving is a major problem right now and therefore, we've got to ensure that we all go into it with the right mindset.

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