Distracted driving takes three forms: visual distractions that cause you to take your eyes off the road, manual distractions that cause you to take your hands off the wheel, and cognitive distractions where your mind wanders and you’re not thinking about driving. Texting combines all three forms of distraction, making it exceptionally dangerous.
Children—and especially infants—have a way of drawing parental attention away from the road. Whether the baby is crying or the boys are roughhousing (what Mom or Dad hasn’t been tempted to echo parents of a former age, who said things like, “don’t you make me stop this car!”), little ones have a way of causing a commotion wherever they go. Here are additional top causes of distracted driving.
Top Distractions Outside the Vehicle
- Other vehicles – Things that move catch the eye, but unless it is necessary for defensive driving, don’t let the passing Wienermobile, speeding sports car, or convertible full of attractive people draw your attention from driving your own vehicle.
- Accidents – Don’t be a “gaper,” causing slowdowns that are even worse than the lane closures cause when others have a crash.
- Birds, bugs, and wildlife – They move fast and can draw your eye from the road; if any creature zips through your field of vision, refocus on the road as fast as you can.
Top Distractions Inside the Vehicle
- Cellphones – Don’t even pull it out of your bag.
- Other passengers, including kids – Don’t feel bad about cutting conversation off if it interferes with your concentration. Make sure children are safely buckled in, and pull over in a safe, spacious parking lot or rest area if they need your attention.
- Eating or drinking – Go ahead and take advantage of the drive-thru, but park and sit at an outdoor table or find an uncrowded park to spread a picnic blanket.
- Fiddling with dials and knobs – Find a good setpoint for temperature and the right radio station or playlist; then, don’t mess around with it until you stop for a break.
- Your mind – Driving through wide-open spaces can become hypnotic, and it’s easy to zone out. Take a break if the driving is so seamless that your mind wanders.
- Emotions – Driving while emotionally worked up can distract you from safe driving practices. Whether angry, sad, or jubilant, over-the-top emotional states are not good moods for driving. Settle down your emotional motor before you start the car.
- Rocking out – Getting too into the air guitar or the headbanging causes you to take your hands off the wheel and your eyes off the road—these are two out of three forms of distraction. Switch to something a little more mellow.
- Call of nature – Didn’t we tell you to go before you left?
- Dogs – A big dog going nuts in the way back will distract you from safe driving. Get an appropriately sized travel kennel to secure in the back and let Fido nap while you drive. If you let your dog romp around the car or—even worse—drive with your dog in your lap, you’re whipping up a recipe for disaster.
Experienced road trippers know that proper preparation is key to a fun and relaxing trip. Knowing the top causes of distracted driving will help you plan and prevent avoidable problems on the road.
