There is no way any driver can completely protect him or herself from accidents. After all, you can’t control all the actions and reactions of the other drivers out there and many times they are responsible for accidents you are involved in. But one thing we do have within our control is our inner-car driving environment and with that control, we have the responsibility of creating a distraction-free zone.
The following tips will help you keep your driving environment free of unnecessary distractions so you can focus on the road.
1. Do not eat while driving: You know those mornings when you are running late and you grab something to eat behind the wheel? Well according to a 2009 article on NYDailyNews.com, that little maneuver is responsible for causing 80 percent of all the accidents on the road. Can you imagine how much cheaper auto insurance rates would be if there were 80 percent fewer accidents?
2. Don’t apply makeup or shave: At one time or another, on a busy Monday morning, we’ve all been behind the person who thinks their rear view mirror is a substitute for their bathroom mirror and, naturally, uses it for makeup application or shaving with an electric razor. Unfortunately, this kind of intense and inappropriate facial scrutiny is very distracting and can easily result in an accident, even when you are only driving at low speeds.
3. Don’t read—even while stopped in traffic: Yeah, you have so much on your plate that you need to make every moment of your day count. So that’s why you read the newspaper while stuck in traffic on the interstate. But to really make every moment count, you should spend every moment being responsible and paying attention to what you are doing—especially when you are doing something as important as driving.
4. Put your phone in the glove compartment and ignore it until the car is parked: 20 years ago, very few individuals were able to talk on the phone while driving, and none were able to text. While we now have the ability to do both while we drive, the truth is that we shouldn’t. And if you look at it objectively, you’ll probably agree that there is nothing that can’t wait to be said (or typed) until the car is parked.
5. Leave the radio station alone: If you drive with the radio on, at some point you will be faced with a commercial or song that you hate and want to change the station to avoid. But messing around with the radio can distract you for vital seconds that you could have used to avoid getting into a car accident. Deal with the song or laser hair removal commercial instead and be patient—it will be over soon.
In life there are things we can control, and there are things we can’t. Take advantage of setting up your driving environment and exercise control over this small piece of your day.
Learn more about Oklahoma City auto insurance including types of coverage and factors that affect your insurance premium. Contact us to get free auto insurance quote at (405) 373-2977.