Distractions are everywhere. Minimizing the amount of distractions and interruptions while driving is essential, especially when your decision to look at your phone could mean life or death. We may think, “It’s just a few seconds”, but plenty of things could go wrong in those few seconds.
Texting while driving is a real problem today. The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. Nearly 330,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving. 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.
Even if you are not texting while driving, choosing music on your phone, scrolling through your address book, or surfing the internet to look for the a cool lunch spot, are all cell phone distractions and should be avoided at all costs.
Consider putting your phone on silent before operating your vehicle. Another option is keeping your phone completely out of reach, in the glovebox, for example, making a significant difference. For teenagers, this could be more challenging, so consider the option of installing safety driving apps on your child’s phone which disables the device if they are traveling at a speed of more than 10 mph. This will make using their mobile device impossible while driving.
Although we all face distractions while driving, its important to choose to reduce them as much as possible. Police use a standard practice of checking cell phone call and texting logs at the scene of an accident to determine if distractions were the cause. Texting while driving is not only wrong, but its illegal. It’s just not worth the fines and fees, let alone the risk to the lives in your car and around you.
Andy’s Auto Service sees the results of accidents caused by texting every day and wants to spread the word to ensure more people are responsible drivers. Visit www.andysautobridgeville.com for details on Teen Driving Safety and our New Driver Workshops.
