ALT-1 Causes of Distracted Driving
Driving is a task that deserves a person’s total attention. It can only take an instant for an accident to happen, a person should never take his or her eyes off the road however most people do at one time or another. There are many things that can distract a driver.
Misbehaving children is a huge distraction. So many times kids will fight in the car. Parents constantly turn around to discipline them. An accident can happen in the time it takes to turn around and tell a child to behave however many drivers are seen doing this every day. Even though it is inconvenient it is best to pull over and discipline the children.
Smoking is a distraction, a person has to take his or her eyes off of the road to get the cigarette out and to find the lighter or to push in the cars built in lighter. Then as he or she flips the ashes into the tray he or she is distracted again. To avoid this distraction a person should not smoke and drive.
Visiting with friends can be a distraction for some people. Some people just can not visit and drive, they think they have to constantly look at the other driver while talking and that takes their attention off of the road. Some people should not visit and drive.
Eating and driving takes a persons attention off of the road. Many people try to save time by eating while driving. It is best if they just eat at home, or before starting the car. It does not take that long to eat the kind of meal that most people eat while driving.
Arguing takes a lot of attention off of the road. When a person is upset and arguing with someone else his or her attention is on the argument, not driving. Many times people use their hands to talk and much of the time they are looking at the other person. This puts everyone in danger. Also, sometimes people tend to drive faster when they are upset or are just not as careful. It is best to pull over and handle the argument before continuing on.
Cell phones have made life much easier for people, their use has also been responsible for many accidents and fatalities. Dialing the phone takes persons eyes off of the road. Anything can happen in that instant. When people talk on the phone their mind is on the conversation. It is hard to concentrate on driving and also on talking. It is best to pull over to the side of the road to talk on the phone. No conversation is worth risking lives.
Texting is one of the biggest distractions around. It is amazing that people honestly think they can text and drive. That is like trying to read a book and drive. Texting takes the persons attention completely off of the road for more than an instant. Many pedestrians have been killed by texting drivers. A person should never text and drive. Another person’s life is not worth texting. It is best to pull over while texting too or wait until arriving home.
Driving is a very important task that demands the driver’s full attention. There are many distractions that keep a persons mind off of the task at hand. Everyone should remember that it only takes an instant to have an accident and the full attention should always be put on driving, not anything else.
