Activities while Driving
Some people do risky and dangerous activities while driving, and this can cause accident rates to skyrocket. What are some of the most dangerous things that folks do behind the wheel, things that never should be done? Probably one of the most controversial things is texting on a cell phone. This activity not only impairs driving concentration by taking the mind of the driver off of the road, but it is shown by AAA to be more dangerous than drunk driving! If the phone is that important and one must absolutely make a phone call while driving, it's advisable to pull over in a safe place off to the side of the road and then make the call. There are far too many accidents happening where cell phones are involved.
Another driving no-no is not signalling when taking a turn or changing lanes. The point of the directional is to communicate the drivers intentions on his or her actions to fellow drivers. Whether it is laziness, forgetfulness, or just plain being rude and not communicating the intentions of the driver, not signalling is a dangerous practice and an extremely bad habit to fall into. The traffic police can and will ticket this lack of driving etiquette, so don't be the one to get that ticket. Make it a point to always signal when taking a turn, or when changing lanes.
There are other ridiculous activities that many drivers do behind the wheel, and we've all seen some careless drivers do them. Reading the newspaper, eating, putting on make-up, even watching TV! Why some folks insist on not focusing when they are behind a very sophisticated machine, one that can kill and does, is a complete mystery. Maybe they think they are above it all, or can handle doing more than one activity at once, but whatever the reason is, it really has to stop. All of these activities have been shown to be more dangerous than even speeding, and when behind the wheel of a many thousand pound vehicle it's important to give full concentration and not to be engaged in other activities. The end result can be an accident, and can result in death.
Try to get into the habit of focusing on the road, and it doesn't matter if it is boring or not. Some things to do to help relax and to stay alert are turning the radio on, or popping one of those books on tape into the dash. Whatever it takes not to do these previously mentioned dangerous activities, then do it. The odds are that sooner or later it will catch up to the driver who insists on breaking the rules of the road, and the end result is just not worth it!
