Seven Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving
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This is the our last
blog in our Distracted Driving Awareness Series in which we discuss tips and
tricks to avoid distracted driving and staying safe behind the wheel.
When driving a vehicle in Ontario, you have a legal
obligation to be focused on the road and your surroundings, however with so
many things happening on the road at any given time it’s difficult to not get
distracted. And although there have been several studies that show that people are limited in
the amount of information they can process at any one time, Ontario drivers are
still shifting their attention back and forth, causing more fatalities and accidents
on the road.
Here are some tips to help you drive more safely remained
focused on the road.
- Make all
relevant calls, send texts and find appropriate addresses in your GPS prior to
driving. Then put your phone on silent to mitigate the risk of looking at
your phone before arriving to your destination. If you do need to make a call,
keep your conversations simple and avoid emotional or intense conversations. Even
if you’re using a hands-free device, stay focused as you can still cause miss
important audio and visual cues on the road.
- Pull over.
If you’re behind the wheel and
find yourself caught in an overwhelming situation, don’t hesitate to pull off
of the road into a safe area to mitigate the risk of getting in an accident.
- Limit the number of passengers you have as
well as the level of activity in the car. Driving with friends is not only dangerous for teenagers it’s
dangerous for everyone as drivers (both young and old) are more likely to be
focused on their friends and their conversations… not the road.
- Ensure
you’re focused on the road…not multi-tasking behind the wheel. If you drive
in the GTA, you’re well aware that the majority of your time is spent in
traffic. However, this is not the time to get tasks done, search for music,
call or text friends.
- If you have children: Long car rides often make
children grumpy and tired. If your child is misbehaving in the back seat and
needs assistance pull over to rectify the issue as oppose to turning your head
and attention off the wheel.
- If you have pets: Make sure you put your pets in
the back and don’t allow them to roam around the car or sit on your lap. There
are several crates and carriers on the market to avoid this.
- Don’t eat
and drive. Rummaging
through takeout bags and opening the lid on your double-double is distracting
and means that both hands aren’t on the wheel and your eyes are likely not on
the road. If you must eat in the car, park and eat and resuming driving once
you’re finished.
- Don’t rubberneck. Not only does
rubbernecking drastically slow down traffic it can also cause collisions.
- Do personal grooming at
home.
Makeup, mascara and personal grooming should be done either before or after
driving. Red lights and traffic is not the time for touch-ups.
It
is always best to do everything you can to stay focused on the road until you
reach your destination. If you have any questions about distracted driving and
if it can affect
your insurance rates, contact us
to speak with one of our brokers. We’re here to help!
Tags: Distracted Driving • Drive Safe • Drive Safely • Driver Safety • Driving Distracted • New Distracted Driving Laws • Tips
