Distracted driving is an all-too-common issue. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distraction accounts for close to 80 percent of the 10 million car accidents that occur in the Unites States each year. While most people associate distracted driving with cell phones, there are actually a whole list of distractions outside of our phones that have played a role in these accidents. Check out our list below of five of the most common driving distractions and be sure to keep all of these in mind the next time you get behind the wheel.
1.) Eating – We are all guilty of having something to eat while we are on-the-go. However, eating means that you do not have both hands on the wheel and you have your focus on something other than the road. There have been several instances of eating being the cause of an accident including one man in Ottawa, Canada who thought to try and eat an entire rotisserie chicken. Another woman in Blacksburg, South Carolina was even killed in an accident that was caused because she was finishing off some takeout after leaving a Waffle House.
2.) Changing – While people may use the back seat of a vehicle as a changing room, it is not the safest practice because you will most likely not be wearing your seatbelt which puts you in danger of being more seriously injured should an accident occur while you are mid-change. However, some people take this unsafe practice to the next level and attempt to change while they are the ones behind the wheel. In fact, the results of an NPR survey showed that over 25 percent of teen drivers admitted that they change their clothes while they drive. Once again, this affects your attention to the road and keeps you from having both hands on the wheel. So basically, if you need to adjust your clothes, pull over or wait until you arrive at your destination.
3.) Fighting – Anyone who has ever been on a long car trip knows that arguments are common when you are trapped inside a vehicle with one or more people for hours at a time. However, sometimes these arguments actually turn physical to the point where the driver and passenger will begin striking each other and the passenger may even try to grab the wheel. The moral is, control your temper when you are behind the wheel and keep anyone that you but heads with riding in a different vehicle.
4.) Pet Cuddles – Pet owners love to take their furry friends with them everywhere they go but they make pet carriers and animal car restraints for a reason. A survey from AAA that was conducted in 2010 found that 21 of drivers in America admitted that they let their dog ride in their lap when they drive, five percent said that they played with their dog while driving, and seven percent even admitted to feeding them while they were behind the wheel. Driving with your pet in your lap or allowing them to distract you is dangerous for both you and your pet as well as other drivers around you that could be affected if your distraction leads to an accident. Either travel without your pets or keep them properly restrained for the entire trip.
5.) Applying Makeup – Women everywhere know the struggle of running behind when your makeup is not finished and the temptation to take advantage of that mirror under your sun visor to apply the finishing touches. However, when your focus is on making sure that your eyeliner is being applied correctly, it is not on the road where it should be. In fact, a study conducted by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute found that applying makeup while driving increased your risk of a crash nearly twice as much as talking on the phone.
Baker, Matt. “The Dumbest Things People Do Behind the Wheel.” SafeBee. N.p., 16 Sept. 2016. Web. 30 Sept. 2016. <http://www.safebee.com/travel/dumbest-things-people-do-behind-wheel>.
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