Being on the road is surely exciting, especially if you’re having a road trip, however, it can also be very risky. People have the tendency to say that when you’re driving, you have one foot in the grave and one in prison.

Sounds pretty gloomy right? But that’s all because unfortunately, a lot of people die in car crashes, and according to the statistics, around eight to nine people die every day due to distracted driving.

That’s a devastating fact and something definitely must be done about it. For starters, we prepared some tips that will help you avoid any distractions along the way and make sure you, and everyone else is safe.

Useful Ways You Can Prevent Distracted Driving

First Ensure You’re Comfortable Before You Leave

Before you even sit behind the wheel, make sure you are ready for a drive. What does it mean? It means that you should first adjust seat settings, temperature settings, mirrors, radio stations, and air vents. Do all of this so you do not have to deal with them during the commute. 

Don’t Forget the Driving Practice Test!

If you’re interested in enhancing your driving performance, practicing safe driving techniques, and generally focusing on being a good driver, then this is highly recommendable. You can take a driver’s test online as it will help you be prepared for the actual driving test. What else is necessary besides that? You should also practice driving as frequently as possible, and with this driving practice test, you will get the opportunity to sharpen your skills without needing to physically be in the vehicle, which can make a huge difference between failure and success.

Secure Loose Things

Before you start the engine, make sure your loose objects are secured because if they’re not they will roll around and will distract you which is not a good thing. You can always put them in a glove section, in a secure bag, or in the trunk.

This way, you will not be forced to reach out for these things in the vehicle in case they get loose. So, for instance, you can put grooming supplies, books, shoes, clothes, any kind of bags you have in the glove compartment or in the trunk.

Turn Off Your Devices

A lot of studies have shown that when a person receives any type of notification (it can be just a comment on a certain post or picture, when they get a message, etc.) that sound instantly sends dopamine to their brain and that individual wants to immediately see what is going on.

So, if you turn off the sound, and even vibration you will not be able to hear anything which means that you will not be tempted to check your mobile phone right away. Therefore, you have three options.

You can turn off your cell phone completely, or turn on the “do not disturb” feature, or you can simply mute the volume as soon as you enter the vehicle. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to place any device that you have in the back seat or glove compartment so it can be out of your reach. 

Keep Your Eyes On The Road

No matter how tempted you are to take a look at some lovely house, billboards, nature, or anything else that seems appealing at first glance, it still doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be focusing on what’s in front of you.

If you want to be a careful driver and make sure nothing bad happens then you should stick to this rule. It is highly recommendable for the driver to move their eyes, approximately every two to three seconds, and scan mirrors every seven to eight seconds.

Eat And/Or Drink Before You Drive

A lot of drivers have a tendency to eat on the go, however, that may not be the smartest decision in the world. In fact, if you’re trying to juggle a sandwich (or any other type of food) or tea/coffee you are not going to pay attention to the road, which can lead to some serious problems.

Therefore, it would be best if you ate and drank something before you leave. If you’re tempted by the drive-thru, you can go there, but consume the things you bought at home. On the other hand, if you’re too hungry and you need to eat as soon as possible, you can always go to the restaurant. 

Roads are unpredictable, especially because you can never predict what will happen while you’re driving. Even though you cannot make an impact on other drivers, what you can do is follow these tips to make sure that at least you are doing everything you can to prevent any disaster.