Dangerous Driving Distractions you Might Not Know About
Driving a vehicle is a serious responsibility and should never be taken lightly. When you’re learning to drive a car or have been driving for some time, it’s always important concentrate and follow all the road rules. The road can be a very busy place and if you’re not focused there can be plenty of dangerous driving distractions, so it always pays to keep your eyes firmly on the road to avoid them at all cost.
Our roads are becoming more and more congested with traffic and with this increased traffic it becomes, even more, important to be aware of what’s happening around you when you’re driving. Dangerous driving distractions can cause traffic problems, at the very least, or serious accidents in worst case scenarios.
New technologies in cars have helped to make them safer, more convenient and entertaining for passengers, in particular, but smartphones, GPS, state of the art sound systems and in-car DVD players can also be dangerous driving distractions you need to be aware of.
Mobile phones are great for keeping in touch while you’re on the road, or stuck in traffic. However, several studies have proven that using a mobile device while behind the wheel can increase the possibility of an accident by up to 4 times. In most situations, the basic use of phones in cars must be completely hands-free.
It doesn’t take very long to get into trouble on the road if you’re distracted by something. One of the worst culprits is fumbling with vehicle settings while you’re driving. You should be very familiar with all vehicles setting of the car you’re driving and shouldn’t have to take your eyes off the road to adjust them. It’s a good idea to have your music playlist fully programmed before you set off so you can avoid the dangerous driving distractions of selecting new tracks on the move.
If you’re a young driver it’s always a lot of fun to take your friends out for a spin, but whatever you do, don’t for 1 minute be distracted by them. Many fatal crashes have been caused when young, particularly male drivers are distracted by their passengers.
There’s a lot to think about when driving a car and if there aren’t enough distractions inside the vehicle, think for a moment of the dangerous driving distractions outside. You have to contend with other drivers who don’t always follow the rules or concentrate. Road conditions can change rapidly, so you have to be aware of those, and you can never know what pedestrians or cyclists might do, so being focused helps you avoid any potential dangerous driving distractions.