Auto

Home

Business

Farm

Motorcycle

RV

Giving Up Distracted Driving: Expert Tips for Ignoring Your Phone
September 28, 2022
Agency

Giving Up Distracted Driving: Expert Tips for Ignoring Your Phone

Distraction while driving occurs when a driver’s concentration is taken away from the road for a variety of reasons. To be sure, the number of factors contributing to driver distraction is increasing. As a result, road accidents are becoming more common. Texting while driving promotes inattention, which is one of the primary causes of car accidents.

Excessive technology use is extremely widespread. It has even become a habit at home, work, and school. While electronic devices have numerous advantages, they also pose a risk when caution is not taken, particularly when mobile phones are combined with the speed of a vehicle.

Even though people are aware that texting while driving is dangerous, more than half of drivers admit to doing it regardless, according to recent research. The most harmful and distracting behavior while driving is texting, which resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths in the US in 2012.

How can this awful behavior be stopped?

Dangers of Using Mobile Phones While Driving

 

It should not be shocking that using a phone while driving carries risks. This is due to the fact that using a phone demands you to utilize your head, eyes, and hands while driving, which diverts your focus from the road.

Naturally, the use of cell phones while driving diverts the driver’s attention from the road and makes it more difficult for them to be aware of their surroundings.

In this way, safety measures cannot be applied when there are more people crossing the street or when you pass through a more hazardous construction zone. Additionally, you are unable to react swiftly in the event of an unexpected event, which makes decision-making considerably harder.

If any distraction can cause attention to be diverted for 10% of the trip, talking on a mobile phone can cause a distraction for up to 60% of the travel. And you can be sure that you are endangering both yourself and others if any of them take your whole concentration while you are driving.

The following are some of the main risks associated with using a phone while driving:

·       Reduced awareness of surroundings

·       Compromised judgment of distances and road conditions

·       Decreased reaction times

Additionally, studies show that using a phone while driving quadruples the risk of an accident.

This number is alarming not only for motorists but also for pedestrians and other drivers who consciously follow traffic regulations.

Tips To Reduce Text-Driving Danger

 

Although we can be tempted to use our phones while driving, the first and most important lesson is that we should never do so. We should pull over in a safe location if we must immediately answer a call or check our phone for a purpose that cannot wait, regardless of the situation. If not, we shouldn’t touch it.

These are a few suggestions that we might use to quit this unhealthy habit.

§  Attend to Calls and Messages Before Leaving Home

Check your phone to see what you need to do before leaving the house or starting the car. Before you start your vehicle engine, make the necessary calls or write the messages. If there is something that causes you to constantly check your phone, schedule a stopover halfway to send the message or make the call that is necessary.

§  Let people know you will be driving

Tell them you will be driving for a short while (or hours) if you are driving but are in the middle of an argument with your partner or are waiting for a job assignment. As a result, no one will hold you for doing so, and allowing you to concentrate while driving.

§  Put your Mobile on Silent

It is possibly the most obvious and effective. By putting the phone on silent, you can keep your focus on the road and avoid being distracted by new WhatsApp messages, calls, or other notifications.

The smartphone can be turned off directly, which is an even better choice. By doing so, you can also avoid the visual cue that the mobile light can make when there is a call or message. This helps to resist the temptation to peek at it at a stoplight or make a hasty call.

§  Use Apps To Avoid Notifications

Technology may both be a problem and a solution. Certain programs let you disable all alerts with a single gesture so they won’t bother you while you’re driving. It is also possible to block or modify notifications directly from the Android or iOS operating systems, but doing so makes it harder to respond to individual notifications and compels you to set specific restrictions for each of them.

§  Warn Not To Write

If a single application is the main cause of any potential mobile distractions, this is a very helpful alternative. A quick and easy way to avoid possible distractions is to leave a message asking not to be disturbed, though not everyone always abides by it.

§  Get a Hands-Free System

A hands-free device can be an excellent option to purchasing if you must take calls while driving for work or any other purpose. It is a useful add-on to get for your new car, and if you frequently make or take calls, it will improve your experience. A hands-free system can be purchased and installed in the present car you drive, so the system doesn’t need to be integrated.

§  Educate and Get Involved

Parents must actively contribute to their family’s safety because they simultaneously serve as educators and enforcers at home. Be careful to adequately inform your kids about the risks associated with texting while driving, including facts and statistics. To disseminate knowledge of the dangers involved with this practice, you can also bring it up in casual conversations with friends just to educate them.

Accidents brought on by cell phones can be avoided. Eliminating distractions as much as you can is the greatest way to avoid distracted driving. The usage of technology in some circumstances might assist lessen distracted driving. You can prevent risky driving by taking precautions if you are aware of what distractions are caused and the severe consequences that can result from them.

What if You Cause an Accident While Texting?

 

It’s crucial to remember that using a mobile phone while driving is illegal at all times, including in traffic and while supervising a driver with a provisional license.

You may incur substantially greater fines, spend more time in jail, and have your license suspended if you text and drive and kill or hurt someone. Even severe fines, jail time, and the suspension of a driver’s license are not the only consequences of distracted driving. You might be forced to live the rest of your days with the knowledge that you killed or gravely hurt someone as a result of a text or social media post.

Even if you are innocent or believe you are innocent, don’t assume the courts will accept your story. You’ll need the aid of a criminal defense attorney before you tell the police what happened!

Remember that texting and driving are unlawful and can lead to criminal misdemeanor charges. It is in your best interest to take your charges seriously! Speak with a criminal defense counsel before telling the police or the court your facts. To protect your rights and your future, you must contact a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.

Consultation with a criminal defense lawyer is especially crucial if the offense led to the harm or death of another person. According to LegalMatch, you should hire a criminal defense lawyer if the accusation is for a second or subsequent violation because the penalties will be greater than for a first offense.

It is better to enter a guilty plea, accept the fixed penalty notice, and avoid the possibility of incurring a more significant fine in court if you have been charged with using a mobile device in any of these circumstances and you were, in fact, doing so at the time.

However, if you deny using a phone at the reported time and think the police are just misinformed, it would be worthwhile to look into your legal options to challenge the accusation that has been filed against you.

Conclusion

 

One of the biggest reasons accidents happen is a distraction. Your main objective needs to be clear to the passengers. Before leaving on the vacation, make sure that any pets or children are secure. Since you want to get the whole car across town safely, good passengers will be just as cautious as you are.

Staying good and safe should be your primary focus. You’ll notice how much more vigilant and in control you feel when driving after applying these guidelines.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *