How to Prevent Distracted Driving
April 6, 2021 by Jean Humbrecht
Distracted driving causes many unnecessary car crashes, injuries, and fatalities every year. And every year the number of accidents involving distracted driving increases. As a result of this trend, Congress declared April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. During National Distracted Driving Awareness month, organizations promote safe driving and focus on educating Americans on the dangers of distracted driving. Read the post below for tips on how to prevent distracted driving in Virginia.
Distracted Driving in Virginia
Distracted Driving is Increasing in Virginia and Throughout the Country and Causing Car Accidents and Deaths
Distractions while driving come from many things-cell phones, in-vehicle technology, vehicle passengers, alcohol or drug use, eating and drinking, grooming, adjusting volume or music, looking at a GPS, stress, fatigue, and many other things. Teenagers are at an even higher risk of being involved in a car accident because of distracted driving, including but not limited to distractions from cell phones.
Read the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute article linked here for more information on causes of distracted driving in Virginia.
Cell Phone Use Major Factor Distracted Driving in Virginia
As one can assume, cell phone use is a major factor in traffic accidents. Studies show that even when drivers use hands-free technology to use their cell phone while driving, they are still less likely to notice potential hazards on the road as a result of the distraction.
Additionally, many people (mistakenly) that they are safer using in-vehicle technology than they were before the existence of this technology. These features include the ability to make a call or send a voice-to-text message without having to touch a phone while driving.
New in-vehicle technology such as rear-facing cameras, motion-activated lights, and GPS could provide a false sense of security to drivers. Looking at a map in the vehicle or relying on other technology that could malfunction takes drivers’ attention away from the road and may cause them to miss hazards around them.
Most people do not even think about the fact that they are even more likely to be a victim of a crime if they are distracted on the road. This is because the driver is not paying attention to his or her surroundings, and again, failing to notice potential hazards.
In efforts to make drivers and roads safer, Virginia has enacted a law prohibiting the use of a cell while driving. Specifically, it prohibits a driver from having a cell phone in his or her hand at all while driving. This is typically referred to as the Texting While Driving law.
For more information on using a handheld personal communication device while driving in Virginia, click here.
How to Prevent Distracted Driving in Virginia
There are many ways drivers can reduce their potential for being distracted while driving. These include using cell phone blocking apps, pulling over to make a call or send a text, having a passenger send or respond to a text or call, putting the phone away completely while driving, driving at the speed limit, not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and continuing to look in rearview mirrors and blind spots, among many other things.
Click here for more tips on ways to preventing distracted driving in Virginia.
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