How to Prevent Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving

In today’s society distracted driving is as easy as ever with developed technology that can fit into our pockets. To put it simply, texting and driving is dangerous.

• Distracted driving has claimed more than 3,142 lives in 2020 according to the United States Department of Transportation.

• Over 100,000 crashes a year involve drivers who are texting.

• 16 percent of all distracted driving crashes involved drivers under 20.

• 82 percent of drivers 16 to 24 years old have admitted to reading a text message while driving.

This data suggests we need a societal reformation to save lives by preventing dangerous behaviors and keeping the road safe. Of all the distractions such as talking to friends, fiddling with the stereo, or changing the music, texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, 5 seconds is the equivalent of driving the entire length of a football field. You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing. Smooth and safe driving not only minimizes accidents but contributes to the safety of you, your family, and your community. Therefore this article will help form new habits around safe driving.

How to break the habit of texting while driving

This section will guide you to make an ideal habit to prevent. Making a habit of keeping your hands on the wheel and your attention on the road will prevent you from texting while driving. This may seem challenging to people who rely on their phones so heavily. But when you stop to think about it, there are countless actions you take when driving a car out of habit that you never even consider, like fastening your seatbelt or locking your car after you park it. It’s important to include putting your phone away in these routines. By doing this, you aren’t breaking the habit of texting while driving; rather, you create a new habit that counteracts using your phone when driving.

While this may seem simple, the challenge is to stay consistent. James Clear, best-selling author of Atomic Habits states in his book “Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound and turn into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them”. This applies to building your habit around safe driving, if you continually remind yourself of this goal it will soon become second nature.

The first habit to build is simply turning off your phone when you get in the car. Put it somewhere you can’t see it such as the side compartments or in a backpack. If your phone is out of sight it is out of your mind. This is the most effective way to mitigate distractions when driving because there are no notifications, no browsing social media, and no temptation to respond to messages. However, this may not be the best solution because oftentimes we need our phones for GPS and playing music when driving.

Fortunately, there are other solutions! You can turn on the do not disturb tab on your iPhone to mitigate receiving messages. Although this still leaves room for error because you can manually override this setting and text anyway. Instead, you can download apps on your phone to prevent texting and driving. Such as

• Life Saver

• AT&T DriveMode

• SafeDrive

• TrueMotion Family

• Drive Safe Mode

These free apps are available on Apple and Android phones, and with just a few clicks it could potentially save your life.

Spreading the Word

We all care about family and friends, so it is our moral responsibility to mitigate the risks that impose on our daily lives. Therefore it is important to spread awareness about distracted driving. Convince your family and friends to develop these habits with you and place your phone out of reach when driving. It is also important to set a good example for young drivers in the car and to have a thorough talk about responsible driving because it may someday save their life.

Another way to spread the word is through the media. Posting blogs, reaching out on social media, and creating posters around your school is the best way to spread awareness. With our combined efforts we can make the roads a safer place and save lives making our community strive to greater heights.

References

Clear, J. (2022). Atomic habits: Tiny changes, remarkable results: An easy and proven way to build good habits and break bad ones. Cornerstone press.

Lawfrandev. (2022, May 8). 3 apps to prevent texting while driving. Fran Haasch Law Group. Retrieved February 10, 2023, from https://www.lawfran.com/blog/2022/05/3-apps-to-prevent-texting-while-driving/

United States Department of transportation. (n.d.). Distracted driving. NHTSA. Retrieved February 10, 2023, from https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving