eTags Examines Whether or Not You’re a Distracted Driver

 

Are you a distracted driver? As you might or might not know, last month was Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which was organized by various public highway safety agencies to combat against increased instances of crashes caused by distracted driving. According to the CDC, over 8 people are killed and 1,161 injured in crashes that involve distracted driving each day! It’s a serious problem, and one that can be avoided if drivers focus their attention on the road.

 

eTags has devoted several posts to distracted driving specifically. Its latest blog post focused on distracted driving statistics and laws in Maryland. However, no matter where you live, you can become the victim of a crash involving distracted driving, so it’s important to know what constitutes distracted driving in the first place so that you know how to avoid doing those things.  Whether you’re a distracted driver yourself or see someone else on the road engaging in this destructive behavior, it’s important to recognize the signs. Here are a few of the top causes of distracted driving:

 

Using Your Cell Phone in Any Way: Texting while driving is a big no-no, and it is now a violation punishable by a fine or jail time in many states. When you look down to text, check social media, or do anything that forces you to focus your attention on that screen, you are not watching the road. Avoid using your cell phone at all costs while driving. If you need to use it to text, please pull over. Please also keep in mind that even hands-free devices are not a full-proof way of avoiding distraction because the very nature of engaging in a conversation can take your mind off the road even though your eyes may remain in focus.

 

Eating or Drinking while Driving: You shouldn’t eat or drink while you drive. Again, this is a scenario that could lead to a disaster and cause you to lose focus on the road. Take, for example, if you spill your hot coffee on your lap. You could end up losing control and causing a crash.

 

Picking Up Something that You Dropped: Things happen and you may end up dropping something on the floor. If you do need to retrieve it right away, it is best to pull over. When you reach down to pick something up, your focus is not on the road, which could lead to a crash. It only takes a few seconds of lost focus to lead to disaster.