How many times have you been distracted by something or someone while driving down the road? Probably more often than you’d like to admit! Unfortunately, driving while distracted is something that many of us do even though we know we shouldn’t. We’ve put together this post in order to help reduce the number of people who drive distracted. Continue reading to learn more about distracted driving and what you can do to cut back on this bad—and dangerous—habit yourself.
The types of driving distractions
Driving distractions can’t all be lumped into one category. Instead, there are three separate groupings for driving distractions: visual distractions, manual distractions and cognitive distractions. Here’s a quick look at each:
- Visual: From checking out a billboard to looking down at your gas gauge, anything that takes your eyes off the road is considered a visual distraction. Visual distractions are the most common types, and they’re often the hardest to avoid.
- Manual: We’re taught in driver’s ed to always keep our hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 o’clock. Unfortunately, we tend to forget that basic rule and start using one hand or the other to eat, text, turn the radio dial or enter a destination into our GPS. All of these (and more) are considered manual distractions.
- Cognitive: Driving on the same road to the same destination every day gets super boring. It’s during these boring stretches that our minds start to wander and we think about things other than the road and the surrounding vehicles. These cognitive distractions are dangerous because not paying attention for just a second can lead to an accident or simply missing important traffic signs in Vermont.
Tips to avoid distracted driving
If there’s one good thing about distracted driving, it’s that it’s relatively easy to avoid! Here are some other pointers to stay focused on the task at hand (besides always keeping your eyes on the road):
- Pull over when you’re drowsy: Another type of cognitive distraction is driving when you’re sleepy! If you ever feel your eyes start to droop or if you’re starting to nod off, just pull over. Falling asleep at the wheel is a real threat that can have serious consequences.
- Put your cellphone away: It’s tempting to respond to a text while you’re behind the wheel, especially if you’re stuck in slow-moving traffic. However, as we know, your cellphone is both a manual and a visual distraction, so just put it away and answer those texts when you get to your destination!
- Set your GPS ahead of time: We know that putting your seatbelt on and adjusting your mirror are the first things you should do when you get in your car. If you’re unsure where you’re going, add “enter GPS destination” to that list! Looking away from the road to enter your destination is another visual and manual distraction.
Following these rules and always paying attention to traffic signs in Vermont is the key to getting from point A to point B safely and in a timely manner. To learn more about how we’re working to prevent distracted driving, reach out to Worksafe Traffic Control Industries today.