When you are on the road, you want all your attention to what you see on your windshield. Inside the car, you are technically a prisoner in an aluminum cage hurling down the road at a breakneck pace. Driving is something not to be taken lightly or treated as a joke — it’s a matter of life and death. How you drive might decide whether you get to go home tonight or not.
Unfortunately, because of the emergence of all these portable technologies, our attention continually shifts from driving to texting, to e-mails, to social media. Even modern car infotainment systems can be a digital distraction when you’re trying to setup the GPS while driving, selecting your favorite song, or doing something else on the touchscreen.
It’s important to keep yourself safe on the road. Car accidents are costly and very deadly. And even while you may have no problem with distracted driving yourself, your fellow drivers who do are still potential threats to your safety. When an accident occurs due to another distracted driver, and you are not to blame, it’s best to seek legal options such as contacting a Colorado Springs Law Firm.
Here are 4 tips to help you prevent distracted driving and be safe on the road:
- Discipline your smartphone use.
The most common cause of all digital distraction is due to smartphones. It is therefore essential to know and discern when it’s possible to glance at your smartphone.
The latest updates of the most popular smartphone operating systems — Android and iOS — have options for simplified notifications that reduce clutter and make it easier to see essential updates from your lock screen.They also feature driving modes that silence all unimportant reminders, calls, and messages while you’re on the move.
Most flagship and high-end smartphones can integrate with a supported car and allow hands-free calls, recognize voice commands, and read your text messages aloud. Make use of these features and never fiddle with your phone. At the very least, park on the side of the road to check your phone.
- Program the GPS Before the Trip.
When navigating to a place using the GPS, program it before, not during, the drive. When you need to make changes in your trip, do it at a stop light or while parked on the side of the road but never while the car is on the move. Turn the GPS volume up, so you don’t have to keep looking at the screen to navigate.
- Let the Shotgun do the Other Stuff.
“Shotgun” refers to the passenger seat on the front. If you’re not driving alone, let the front passenger select the music, adjust the A/C, do the selfies, etcetera. Focus on driving and getting everyone safely to the destination.
- Organize your stuff.
Loose objects on the dashboard could go flying everywhere, and it could be a dangerous split-second distraction for you. You might even be tempted to pick up the stuff from the floor. Documents, coins, your pair of aviator shades — all these must be appropriately organized to be distraction-free.
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