Are you a distracted driver? Most people would say that they aren’t because they believe that they are driving safely and maintaining the right safety standards at all times. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case and you may find yourself making little mistakes that cause you to be extremely distracted without even realizing that you’re doing it. Of course, some of the things that you do you may not see as a distraction, but they are definitely taking your attention and they have caused a large number of accidents.
Eating/Drinking While Driving
Studies have shown that between 70 and 85% of drivers admit that they eat or drink while they are driving at least occasionally. It probably seems normal and not that big of a deal but you’re actually over 3 ½ times more likely to get into an accident if you’re doing either of these things than someone who isn’t. Other studies have found that the increase is almost 80% and even near misses are accredited to this with a whopping 65% being considered a result of eating or drinking.
Using Radio/Phone While Driving
Whether you’re just changing the radio station, adjusting the volume, making a phone call or anything else, it’s entirely possible to get distracted by the technology in your car. Over 400,000 people are believed to have been injured in just one year because of distracted driving and using a radio or phone is one of the high points for this. Without accounting for texting, which has become an extremely dangerous aspect of using a phone while driving, approximately .33% of all accidents (not just distracted) are related to the use of a phone. This is a big part of why many vehicles now come with hands-free calling and controls, and why a lot of people like brand new vehicles. You can get one for yourself by getting no credit car loans.
Passengers in the Car
If you have passengers in the car you have a much higher chance of getting into a car accident and the more passengers the higher the chance. With teens especially this becomes an important consideration and a lot of teens find themselves being distracted by their friends in the backseat. Having anyone in the car for adults definitely increases the chances of having an accident too however. So it’s important to limit the number of people in your vehicle and make sure that you’re not talking or looking around too much instead of watching the road.
No matter what’s going on around you it’s important to always keep your eyes on the road. If you’re not careful you could easily end up in an accident and the people around you could suffer because of your mistake. That’s why you want to make sure that you’re not getting distracted even by the little things around you. The radio or your passenger may not seem that dangerous, but they definitely could be if you’re not careful about what you need to do to keep everyone safe.
