Avoid These Distractions To Avoid A New Haven Auto Accident

From the very beginning it is important that you know that none of the distractions mentioned below are going to be cell phones. Yes, cell phones are a major concern and can be significant distraction when driving and can most certainly lead to a New Haven auto accident, but these days cell phones grab all the headlines when any distraction is bad while you’re driving.

Today, distractions are everywhere and if you’re not careful you might find yourself driving while you’re not paying attention to the road in front of you. If this occurs to you, you are putting yourself in grave danger of getting into a car accident. Distracted driving is among one of the most dangerous things you can do when you’re driving and if you find yourself in a situation where you have the option to do something besides focus on the road in front of you, you should avoid it at all cost.

The most important thing you can do to keep yourself safe when you’re driving is to pay attention to the road in front of you. Read that again: The most important thing you can do to keep yourself safe when driving is to pay attention to the road in front of you. This is the key statement. Yes, wearing your seat belt is incredibly important to your safety when you are driving. Speeding, especially excessive speeding, can lead to increased severity of an accident. These things are true, but as you think about how to keep yourself and other safe behind the wheel, the very first thing you should be thinking about is how you can keep all of your attention focused on the road.

Here are some common distractions that drivers sometimes forget to think about, but that can take their eyes off the road for quite some time and lead to a dangerous situation;

1.) Eating and drinking. With the advent of drive-thrus it is more and more common to see someone who is driving, also eating. If you are doing this you are not giving 100% of your focus to the road in front of you. What if your drink is too hot and you spill it down your chin? What if you drop a French fry on your lap and you instinctively look down to pick it up? These are all things that can happen when you are eating while you’re driving and these things can take your eyes and focus off the road. Grab your food and drink and wait until you’re at your destination to eat/drink them.

2.) Adjusting any infotainment settings. Your infotainment center controls everything in your car these days from the temperature, to the radio to your navigation and everything in between. This means the distractions are endless. You should be setting all of the bells and whistles of your car to the right temperature, music and direction before you put the car in drive. While you’re driving you should be focused in on the road in front of you so you should never take your eyes off the road to adjust your infotainment.

3.) Writing. Have you ever had a thought pop into your mind while you were driving and didn’t want to forget it so you wrote it down? You should NEVER write it down. If it’s important enough you will remember it when you come to a complete stop. Trying to write and drive can be incredibly distracting and put you at risk of getting into an accident. If you absolutely cannot forget this idea or thought, you should pull off the road safely, come to a complete stop and then write it down. This may take an extra minute or two, but it will put you in a position to remember your idea and keep yourself safe.

4.) Grooming. When you look out your window and see someone shaving with an electric razor while driving, what do you think? Hopefully your first thought is, what are they doing they are going to be distracted while they are driving and not, oh I didn’t shave this morning either. Doing things like shaving, applying makeup or fixing your hair while driving takes your eyes away from the road and can put you at risk of getting into an accident. If you don’t have time to groom yourself before you leave the house, pull over safely and do it before you arrive at your destination.

There are so many things that can distract us while we’re driving these days. Your cell phone, food and drinks, infotainment systems and so much more can all put you in a situation where your eyes are off the road and you are at risk of getting into a New Haven auto accident. If you can commit yourself to avoiding these types of distractions you can put yourself in a good position to avoid accidents all together. While accidents still happen, even if you are completely focused on the road in front of you, if the driving is getting 100% of your attention your risk drops dramatically.

When an accident happens it can mean serious property damage or injury. In this case, you may need to speak with an experienced attorney who can review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.