Distracted driving is dangerous. Of that, there is no doubt. Over 3,000 people died in 2019 from distracted drivers. However, the road itself can be distracting. Indeed, with the accessibility of mobile technology always in reach, there is no end to distractions.
In fact, the best way to stop distractions on the road is to limit their use. These five ways to stop distractions will show you how to leave them behind.
Better Drivers’ Education Programs
Safe driving starts from the ground up. Learning how to avoid distractions is the best way to stop distractions. If you’re a parent, start teaching your children responsible driving from a young age. Even if they can’t drive yet, they should see, hear, and understand the various distractions on the road.
Some key points to include are:
- Never use a phone while driving.
- Adjust the seat and mirrors before you start driving.
- Avoiding personal grooming while driving.
- Planning for the route and leaving with plenty of time to spare.
- Keeping an eye out for distracted drivers, and avoiding them.
Modeling these behaviors will teach your kids the right way to drive and be a passenger. They will learn to understand the importance of a safe, distraction-free driving zone. This will pay extra dividends should kids become rowdy on the road, as kids are known to do.
Keep the Phone Out of Reach
It goes without saying, but if you’re looking at your phone, then you’re not looking at the road. Sending or reading a text on the road takes about 4.6 seconds. If you’re driving at just 30 mph, you will travel two-thirds of a football field in that amount of time without looking at the road. That’s just for a quick text.
Updating a social media status or recording a video is more distracting and dangerous. If you are too tempted to pick up your phone, then keep it out of reach. If you have to, lock it in the trunk or the glove department.
Truthfully, the safest decision is to learn how to drive without any need for your phone. Many of us rely on our phones for navigation, music, and audiobooks. Studies have shown, however, that even using your phone hands-free is risky. Not all distractions will be visual. Audio distractions can be just as dangerous. How often have you almost missed your turn because you were listening and waiting for your navigation to tell you to turn?
Safe Driving Apps
If you must have your phone nearby, you should make it safe with safe driving apps. While apps aren’t as safe as keeping your phone out of sight, they help.
Many apps are designed to silence notifications, such as texts and app messages. These are useful if you’re part of an active family or work chats. You should be less tempted to look at your phone with notifications hidden. Plus, you won’t face the distraction of the notification sound itself.
Other apps are designed to pay you for not using your phone. These apps work by activating once your car moves over a certain speed. Once it senses the vehicle is in motion, you begin to earn cash or points for every mile that you don’t use your phone. While these amounts aren’t too impressive, they do add up over time. These rewards apps can be great for those who travel for work.
Finally, don’t forget the built-in safety features of your phone. These include:
- Airplane mode to block all incoming notifications.
- Driving mode or Do Not Disturb silences notifications and lets others know that you’re driving.
- Car-safe modes on many existing apps limit their functionality while you drive.
- Virtual assistants and voice operation keeps your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
If you must have access to your phone, then at least make sure it’s safe. However, you should still keep it out of sight to avoid the chance of visual distraction.
Eliminate Multitasking
It makes sense when said aloud, but you should only be driving when you’re driving. Personal grooming, eating, and even intense conversations are all highly distracting, and they have no place in the car. Most of us are guilty of doing at least one of these, but stopping distractions is the only way to eliminate distracted driving.
However, your drive doesn’t have to be a stark emptiness of nothing. Studies have shown that listening to music or even answering radio show questions are beneficial for driving. While they are auditory intrusions, these acts don’t require much attention. In fact, these passive auditory behaviors keep the brain from wandering during long stretches of driving. Boredom can be just as distracting as a phone, and a wandering mind doesn’t make for a safe driving experience.
With that said, anything that requires your eyes to move from the road should not be done. If you find yourself prone to multitasking on the drive, follow these steps:
- Prepare a pre-drive schedule to ensure your needs are met (bathroom, grooming, and even navigation).
- Eat before you leave. Keep food out of the car.
- Ask any passengers to keep conversations light and not distracting.
- Set all interior adjustments before leaving, including dash cams and music choices.
Avoid multitasking at all costs, especially while driving, as it leads to distraction. Multitasking in general has been shown time and again to increase errors and reduce efficiency. Nothing is more important than paying attention to the road when it comes to driving.
Heads-Up Displays
As is the case with many issues of the day, technology may be the best counter-distraction measure. Disabling your phone might prevent it from receiving distractions. However, you might still be distracted by not being contactable by friends or family. As with children or sick family members, the phone can never be out of reach in many cases.
Enter heads-up displays (HUDs). While not the cheapest option, this tech allows all pertinent information to be displayed directly in front of the driver. This includes:
- Car information, such as speed and gas levels.
- Surrounding information, such as accidents or upcoming restaurants.
- Your phone notifications, plus auto-read features and integrated navigation assistance.
It is important to note that these displays are distractions themselves. In fact, that is the thought behind their functionality. A driver is surrounded by these existing distractions, including dash information. Therefore, why not raise that information to eye level, and include other information? Not only does this reduce stress for the driver, but it also helps them stay safer and more alert for upcoming road hazards.
In today’s age of hyperconnectivity, being without a phone can induce anxiety and even panic. With HUDs and other quality-of-life technology, drivers can stay safe without disconnecting.
Final Thoughts
Distracted driving is a killer, but it will never go away until all distractions are eliminated. As drivers, we can only guarantee our own safe driving habits. By removing distractions around you, though, it becomes easier to react to other distracted drivers.
Teach your children safe driving tips from the beginning. They will remember them when it’s their time behind the wheel. Start with simply putting your phone away. Use safe driving apps to keep it silenced. Avoid multitasking while behind the wheel. Lastly, look into heads-up displays to help reduce the distractions that come built-in with the car.
Rachel Perez is an Outreach Associate with North Star Inbound. An honors graduate of New York University, she frequently contributes written pieces on the importance of motor safety, safety preparedness and home improvement.
