Driver Condition
Drowsy Driving
Distracted Driving
Dealing with Emotions
Dealing with Cell Phones
Medications
Alcohol
Young Drivers
Mature Drivers
Seat Belts
Child Safety
Child Safety Seats
Child Safety Booster Seats and Safety Belts for Children
Automatic Restraints
Children and Air Bags
Child Safety Points
Adult Safety Points
Law on Transporting Children in the Back of a Pick-up Truck
| Distracted Driving | Being distracted from, or failing to give full attention to driving, can lead to poor choices when driving, resulting in serious consequences.
| | Types of Distractions | | Some causes of distracted driving include eating, drinking, talking on a cell phone, writing, reading, smoking, changing your CD or radio station, looking at people or objects outside your vehicle, looking for things inside your vehicle, talking to passengers, dealing with children or pets, applying makeup, shaving, etc. Distractions fall into three categories: | - Physical - Distractions that cause the driver to take his or her hands off the wheel or eyes off the road such as turning a radio station or dialing a cell phone.
- Mental - Activities that take the driver's mind off the road such as having a conversation or thinking about an emotional event.
- Combination - Some activities take your hands, eyes and mind off the task at hand such as reading a map while driving.
| | Dealing with Distractions | | No matter what the distraction, inattentive drivers exhibit similar behavior. Distractions cause drivers to react more slowly to traffic conditions or events, such as a car stopping to make a left turn or pulling out from a side road. Inattentive drivers fail more often to recognize potential hazards such as pedestrians or debris in the road. Also, distractions make it more difficult to conduct preventative or evasive moves to avoid a crash because many distractions force a driver to take at least one hand off the steering wheel. Below are ways to minimize in-vehicle distractions: | | Pre-program your favorite radio stations for easy access and make CDs easy to reach;Keep your stereo at a volume low enough so you can hear things outside of your vehicle such as a siren, horn honking, screeching of tires or other things that would lead you to react safely to an emergency or hazard;Teach children the importance of good behavior while in a vehicle. Do not underestimate how distracting it can be to tend to them in the car;Do your personal grooming at home, not in the car;Pets should be in a carrier; andDesignate a front-seat passenger to serve as a "co-pilot," rather than fumble with maps or navigation systems. If you are driving alone, map out destinations in advance. |
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