Common But Dangerous Things Drivers Do
Gone are the days when drunk driving and texting were the main causes of distracted driving and many car accidents. In today’s modern world, especially where multi-tasking has reached a whole new height, there are lots of wacky ways people have caught not looking at the road ahead. Some reasons may involve getting a bit of work done before heading into the office and others are a bit vain and downright careless. Here Driver’s Auto Mart’s Top 5 Crazy But Surprisingly Common Things People Do While Driving!
Wardrobe Changes
Slowly but surely teens appear to realize the dangers of texting while driving, which of course is a good thing if only they didn’t replace it with something possibly much worse: wardrobe changes. According to Tech Times, a lot of teen drivers still don’t grasp that taking his or her eyes off the road for any reason puts them and their passengers at risk. It has been reported that while teen phone usage while driving has dropped from about 43 percent to 40 percent, a lot of teenagers do other things to distract themselves. A study by the Journal of Transportation Safety and Security found that teens do plenty of distracting activities that go beyond changing clothes but also putting on shoes, putting in their contacts, and even doing their homework.
Not only teenagers are guilty of doing this. According to Reader’s Digest, one witness account saw a woman do a full wardrobe change from head to toe, saying “One time on the 405 in Los Angeles, I saw a woman switch from a very nice business outfit into a leotard. At one point, she was just sitting there in her undergarments.”
Eating
It’s highly likely that most drivers are guilty of this but just because the majority might be doesn’t make it any more right. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that munching on your favorite snack while driving increases the chances of getting into an accident by a whopping 80%. NHTSA even came up with a list of food items that are potentially hazardous while driving (though all probably are): Coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, soup, chili, barbecued food, tacos, hamburgers, fried chicken, jelly and cream-filled, and powdered doughnuts.
Putting On Makeup
Another crazy but common form of distracted driving is quite similar to wardrobe changes. According to Car Rentals Blog, nearly 24 % of women confessed that putting on makeup was the cause of their distracted driving. What women may not realize besides potentially getting in an accident, that there are other downsides to putting on their face while driving as Car Rentals reported that 19 % have to hit the brakes in order to avoid a collision, 13 % poked their eye with their mascara wand, and much worse, 6% missed a green light. It’s not really productive multitasking if your late for work…
Reading
“One guy actually had a paperback book taped to his steering wheel. It would move when he turned the wheel.”…just when you think you’ve seen it all.
According to a blog on Law Lundy’s website, a personal injury firm, during long commutes, many drivers carry newspapers, books, or electronic reading devices at traffic lights in order to escape the boredom and stress of their long travels. While this may seem harmless, it’s still very dangerous, since drivers are not aware of their surroundings and cannot determine whether or not the light turned green, therefore traffic could be moving without them and someone could hit their car from behind.
However, an alternative to this bad practice is to enjoy reading your favorite book by audible means. One could either subscribe to Audible.com or listen to free e-books from your local library.
Using A Car As An Office
Though we’ve mastered the art of multi-tasking, it’s not always for our own good… As previously mentioned, some teenagers are actually distracted by doing their homework while a red light and the same can be said for some young professionals who are reading over important briefs before meetings or perhaps finishing up some last-minute work.
According to NPR’s blog, driving while distracted by any means is no different than driving drunk. Driving requires more brainpower than people realize, and even using speech-to-text communication can distract the brain for a certain amount of time afterward.
Driver’s Auto Mart
Now that you’ve read all of the things NOT to do while driving, you’re ready to hit the road, preferably one from Driver’s Auto Mart. Our dealership has a wide range of different pre-owned vehicles that are up-to-date and have impressive driving capabilities. Check out our online inventory via our website and chat with an online representative for more assistance.