During your daily commute, you have likely seen drivers doing some crazy things. Though you don’t know the reason, it’s easy to see that those bent over or turned toward the backseat aren’t placing their full focus on the road. Yet, there are a lot of distractions that occur in the car that are completely overlooked by most drivers.
Secure That Change Cup! It sounds like a crazy thing to put on a list of driving safety tips, but you would be surprised how many accidents happen, or are made worse, because the driver tries to catch, clean up, or right a falling object. The change cup, of course, is the container that drivers keep nearby with loose change, in case they need to pay for a highway toll or a quick Cup o’ Joe. This rule isn’t limited to the change cup, though. It applies to anything that is sitting loose in your vehicle. Cup holders that aren’t deep enough all too often result in spilled coffee, which is hot, wet, and likely to jolt the driver into panicked maneuvering. Food items, open purses, things sitting on the dash, or even a grocery bag perched on the backseat can be cause for alarm if you are forced to stop quickly. So, before you leave your Saint Petersburg driveway, be sure that everything in the car is secure.
Skip the Restaurants that Don’t Prepare it Like You Want It Fast food is, unfortunately, a big part of the American lifestyle. Even if you aren’t binging on burgers, it is likely that you have stopped in for a quick cup of coffee in the morning. If the server isn’t handing your food and drink to you fully prepared, then you need to choose a new stop for your morning commute, or you need to learn to pull over and prepare yourself before taking off. Drivers who are distracted by pouring cream into their coffee, or with putting hot sauce on their drive-thru taco are far more likely to cause an accident than the drivers munching a donut and sipping soda through a straw. It must be said, however, that eating while driving is discouraged completely, as there is no safe way to do this. While you’re driving, drive; leave all other tasks until you have stopped.
Teach Your Kids Technology as Early as Possible You might laugh, as you recall the time your two-year old spends on your iPad, but this is truly a driving safety concern. Personal injury attorneys have discovered that parents are some of the worst drivers on the road, despite having the most precious cargo. Why? Because they are distracted by their backseat passengers, who need the movie started over, help getting onto their favorite app, or who have dropped the cartridge for their video game. Teaching kids how to operate remotes, properly maneuver from one app to another, and other such skills can greatly reduce the stress placed on you while you are driving.
Set Your Phone to Silent Even those who have never answered a text while on the road, or who haven’t dropped the phone in the seat when passing a parked police car cannot claim that they are truly safe drivers until they turn their cell phones off. Even if you ignore the message, the quick glance down or the dig through the purse when the phone rings is a distraction. Turn it off, put it away, and check it once you have safely arrived at your St. Petersburg destination.