What are the most common forms of distracted driving?

Even if you consider yourself a good driver, there could come a point when you find yourself not paying attention to the road. Hopefully, if this happens, you’ll be able to catch yourself before you cause an accident.

As a driver, you should become familiar with the most common forms of distracted driving. Armed with this knowledge, it’s much easier to avoid a bad situation on the highway.

Common situations of distracted driving include:

• Getting lost in your own thoughts. It’s easy to daydream when you’re behind the wheel, especially if you’re stuck in traffic or taking a long trip. As tempting as it may be, you need to keep your thoughts on the task at hand — driving.
• Smoking. Despite the obvious health hazards, many people still smoke, and some are in the habit of smoking while driving. This is a habit you want to break, as it means you’re only using one hand to control your vehicle.
• Searching for an object in your vehicle. For example, you may have lost something in the back seat. Don’t attempt to find it while your vehicle is in motion, as this means you’ll have to take one hand off the wheel and your eyes off the road.
• Anything associated with your smartphone. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking, texting, or playing a game, there is no place for smartphone use in your vehicle. This will absolutely increase the likelihood of being involved in an accident.
• Talking to passengers. While there’s nothing wrong with chatting, you don’t want to become so involved in the conversation that you lose sight of what you’re actually doing.
• Turning around to discipline your children or check on a pet. If you’re riding with children or pets in the back seat, you shouldn’t get into the habit of turning around to see what they’re doing.

While you avoid these behaviors as a means of staying safe, you hope other drivers are doing the same. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. So, if a distracted driver strikes your vehicle, make sure you call 911, receive medical treatment and learn more about your insurance policy coverage and legal rights.