Life is Simple Pay Attention
Everywhere you look for statistics about car accidents, everyone agrees that the number one reason that people have accidents issimple distractions. It may be argued that accidents that are blamed on weather, running red lights, and speeding are caused by distractions.
There are some obvious and realistic examples of distracted driving. Some of the more common distractions that fall in this obvious, but often done category are talking on the phone, putting on making, sending and receiving texts, eating, reaching for objects in the car and focusing on something outside of the car, but not on the road.
A great example is a simple little thing like changing the radio station. It is not a hard task, but you take your eyes off of the road and your hand off the steering wheel. That is distracted driving. Reaching down to get your drink from the cup holder, distracted driving.
When drivers are going a long distance alone, their minds tend to wander. Sometimes they end up in deep thought. It is alarming to suddenly look around and wonder how you got there or don’t immediately recognize where you are. You may even ponder what you may have missed. In this case your thoughts served as a distraction.
Great driversconcentrate and focus on their surroundings. They are able to push everything else aside and watch the road, other drivers, road conditions and possible hazards. It is clear that the more distractions that are eliminated the fewer accidents there will be. It all about getting to the root of each driver's distraction.
There some distractions that can be eliminated with relative ease. A clean vehicle is a good start. Drivers can not reach for things that are not there. Things will not go flying with a quick stop if there is no clutter in the car. Keep necessary items secured. Doing this simple thing will eliminate accidents caused by distractions.
Speed is factor in many accidents. Almost every driver can recall a time when they glanced at the speedometer and realized that they were too fast or too slow. Both of these are a danger to other drivers and yourself.
Perhaps it is time to eliminate food and drink from the vehicle altogether from the vehicle. It would take more planning to stop and get food and beverage and consume it. This could be beneficial in a number of ways. This would give the driver an opportunity to get out, stretch and regain focus. Passengers could also get their wiggles out and take care of other needs.
One profound statement came from a four year old child and it worth repeating. “Grandma, you can’t watch me in the backseat and see the cars in front of you.”
