Are you on the road but miles away? Read more about the dangers of distracted driving.
Do you consider yourself to be a good driver? An attentive one? A focused one? You could know all the tricks of the trade when it comes to driving, but can you say with 100% certainty that you always have your eyes, ears and mind on the road?
That was a lot of questions to start off with, sorry. BUT the point we’re trying to make is: we all drive while we are distracted. It’s a dangerously common habit and one most of us don’t even know we’re guilty of!
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3 types of distracted driving
When you leave your home in the morning, you check your seatbelt and adjust your mirrors. That’s all you really need to get going. Along the way, we still find ourselves very busy during our trips in the car; using phones, eating, and getting waaay too involved in your car karaoke. So we’re going to talk through the 3 categories of distracted driving.
Visual
Looking down to read a text is like driving blindfolded for 5 seconds. And when you’re moving at an average of, let’s say, 80km per hour, that’s a long distance to risk taking your eyes off the road. Visual distractions include looking at your phone to find the perfect song, rubbernecking at an accident on the side of the road, or turning behind you to look at your child.
You need to have both eyes on the road when you’re driving because you need to be three steps ahead of the game. What is the car in front of you doing? Why is that guy behind you not using his indicator?
Manual
Your driving instructor didn’t tell you “two hands on the wheel” 600 times for nothing. Reaching for something on the passenger seat or in the back seat is a manual distraction. Reaching your left hand to the back seat with one eye on the road and no hand near the gear stick is incredibly reckless and you won’t be able to react well when something goes wrong.
That’s why it’s important to stay sharp: driving is all about reacting to the cars around you in the safest way possible.
Cognitive
It’s human nature for the mind to drift through thoughts as we fall into a routine. That’s why it’s easy for our minds to wander as you become a more seasoned driver. Cognitive distractions can come from listening to your music too loudly, focusing on singing along or getting into heated discussions with friends. These are all fun things to do, sure, but they take your mind elsewhere.
How to limit distractions while driving
If you want to be more conscious about your driving, try these techniques to lessen how often you get distracted when you’re behind the wheel.
Be hypervigilant around familiar areas
Hands up, who has been guilty of arriving at home and thinking, “Woah, how did I get here?” When you’re travelling on familiar roads, that is when you are most likely to get distracted. Lazy driving is when accidents happen. Be super aware of your driving during these trips.
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Limit the number of passengers
If you’re the designated driver of the group or responsible for big lift clubs to school, it can be tricky to remain focused on the road. If you know you’re distracted easily, try and limit the number of passengers in your car. Or at least ask them before the trip to save the level 10 pazazz for when you arrive at the location.
Avoid eating in the car
We know (we KNOW) that life gets busy. But do you know what makes it busier? Dealing with a fender bender and an insurance claim. You can spare a few minutes to eat in the car if you’re in a rush OR you can muster the patience to leave your burger for when you get home.
Stop multitasking
Take your driving time as a time to do just that: drive. Do one thing at a time, for a change! Come traffic, rain, or sunshine, be present on the roads and you’ll be safer than most.
From us at Oneplan Car and Household Insurance to you on the roads, we trust you will drive safely for the health and safety of not just you, but others too.
Your Insurance Family,
Oneplan
