Drive Safely! How to Stop Yourself from Driving Distracted

Over 650,000 drivers in the United States use an electronic device while driving at any time in the day. And using a cell phone while driving isn’t the only form of distracted driving. You are considered to be a distracted driver if you are doing any of the following:
Many factors impact premiums, including:

•  Looking at a GPS to get to your destination

•  Eating

•  Fixing your hair or makeup

•  Reaching for something that fell

•  Changing the radio station

Are you a distracted driver? If you read texts while driving, check your hair in the rearview mirror, eat your lunch, or skip a song on your Spotify playlist, the answer is yes.

Luckily, there are steps that you can take to resist the urge to drive distracted:

1. Create a playlist filled with songs you love and listen to that rather than a random playlist to prevent yourself from manually skipping songs while you drive.

2. Throw a piece of gum in your mouth before you get in the car so you don’t feel as hungry while you drive. Or, eat a snack before!

3. Listen to your GPS rather than look at your GPS. The great thing about a GPS like Google Maps is that if you get confused by what it is saying and miss a turn, it will automatically put you on another route. Remember, getting to your destination safely is more important than getting to your destination quickly!

4. Turn off your phone’s notifications so that you don’t get alerted when you get a text or call. Whomever is contacting you can wait!

5. Take off your jacket and put it in the back seat before you drive, even on cold days. Chances are that if it’s cold out, you’ll be turning the heat on as soon as you get in the car. After a few minutes you’ll start to feel hot and will want to take off your jacket. If you attempt to do this while driving, you will become majorly distracted!

¹https://www/travelers.com/quiz/auto/distracted-driving