Distracted drivers now cause more accidents on the road than speeders and impaired drivers combined. With the numbers on an uptrend, it's time for all to take action and commit to putting safety first. As the new school year gets under way, our post this week looks at tips you can start using right away to keep distractions at bay.
Prepare Before You Drive Off
Distractions can often be minimized with just a little bit of advance preparation. Before you start the car, check the following off your list:
- Leave early - Allow yourself plenty of time to travel. It'll help you make safer, sounder driving decisions- and give you enough elbow room to pull over safely to answer a cell phone call if necessary.
- Know where you're going - If you're heading to an unfamiliar territory, review your maps or set the GPS before you start on your way.
- Get the kids ready - Make sure children are buckled in, comfortable and have a favourite toy, leaving you free to focus on driving.
- Secure loose objects - Keep bags, cans, sunglasses and all other objects from sliding around or falling. It'll keep you from reacting instinctively to reach out for them.
- Turn them off or go silent - Powering off your mobile device nips distraction in the bud. Your next best option is to set the volume to silent mode.
- Make devices inaccessible - Place your phone, ipod or other techno gadget in a bag, glove compartment, back seat or trunk and leave them alone.
- Ask passengers to help - If a call or text message comes in, ask a fellow passenger in the car to pick it up for you.
- Use an automatic reply - Whether you pre-record a voicemail greeting or download an app that sends automatic replies, let your network know that you won't respond while driving.
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