An 18 year old student died this year after being hit by a 17 year old student who was texting as she drove. One girl lost her life and the other’s life was changed forever, all because of distracted driving. Teenagers are the most likely demographic to be involved in a motor vehicle accident due to distracted driving, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Keep your family and other drivers safe by learning the risks of distracted driving and ways to prevent distracted driving.
Is distracted driving really that dangerous?
Distracted driving includes any type of activity that takes your attention away from the road and other drivers while driving a vehicle. Sending or reading text messages, checking emails, and talking on the phone are activities that can distract a driver, but so are changing radio stations, eating food, and talking to others in the car.
Any type of distracted driving is risky, and it can have terrible consequences.
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that 3,450 people died in the U.S. and 391,000 were injured because of distracted driving.
Constant awareness of the road and those around you is essential to safe driving. There are many variables and unexpected occurrences that can happen even on the shortest and most routine drive; you can’t safely respond to these changes without paying full attention to the road.
Distracted driving can be deadly. Keep your family and other drivers safe with these 6 tips to prevent distracted driving. Click To TweetPrevent distracted driving
1. Build a pre-driving checklist:
- buckle up
- adjust your mirrors
- enter your destination into your GPS or map app
- choose your radio station or playlist
- check your phone or email for important messages
- place your phone out of reach.
You can keep this checklist visible in your car. Only start driving once you’ve done everything on the list.
2. Make a driving playlist at home instead of searching for songs while you drive.
3. Swift turns and sudden stops can send clutter in your car tumbling and rolling around the floorboard. Keep a clean car to help prevent distracted driving.
4. Don’t eat or drink while driving.
5. Establish a no-phone-while-driving rule. Don’t check updates, send text messages, or even answer calls while driving. Pull over if it’s an emergency.
- It’s illegal for drivers under the age of 18 to use a cellphone in any way while driving a vehicle in the state of Arkansas. This includes hands-free technology.
- It’s illegal for all drivers in Arkansas to write, send, or read text messages, or access social media platforms.
6. Pull over if you need to do anything other than drive.
Distracted driving simply isn’t safe. Parents should talk to their children about the dangers of distracted driving, and establish safe driving rules to prevent distracted driving. Educating new drivers is important, but it’s equally important to lead by example.