There are certain things that should not be done while driving because they may cause accidents on the road. Road accidents happen often and some of these can be prevented by not doing the following things listed below.
Texting
Texting while driving is a dangerous activity because it keeps your eyes off the road. It is dangerous as a driver to text while your car is moving; however, it is also hazardous to text when you are stopped at an intersection or while stuck at traffic since you may miss important queues like the traffic light switching from red to green or the car in front of you moving ahead already.
A helpful tip to avoid distractions from your phone is to place your phone on silent. This way, you would not be tempted to check your phone from all the sound notifications from messages or feeling your phone constantly vibrating to these notifications.
Calling
As a new driver, it might be best for you to focus all attention on the road. To be able to do this, engaging in a conversation on the phone might not be the best idea. This may take your focus away as you head to unfamiliar places or busy intersections.
Emotional Driving
Avoid driving when you are sad, angry or stressed. Emotional driving could cloud judgment and cause you to make rash decisions on the road. Your thoughts might be wondering off at a different place and this may lead you to lose focus when driving. If your emotions are high, consider waiting a bit longer until you are feeling better or make alternative plans instead.
Falling asleep
Falling asleep while driving is one of the most dangerous activities on this list. This is because you lose all your senses and drift off which puts your life and other people’s lives at great risk.
In one survey conducted by the CDC, 4% of Americans admitted to dozing off while driving on the road. When feeling drowsy while driving, it might be the best decision to find a place to pull over and park so you are able to take a nap before driving again.
It is also advisable to have enough sleep at night if you are driving the next day to avoid a drowsy driving scenario from occurring. Take your time to make the necessary steps to avoid falling asleep while driving.
Unnecessary honking
Honking is something that should only be done to ensure safety on the road. Using it as a means to express impatience on the road or when expressing road rage can be dangerous. This is because the unnecessary honking of your horn can startle and disturb other drivers and bikers, which can lead to them losing focus. Use your horn wisely and only when necessary.
Drunk driving
Drunk driving is something that should never be done by new and old drivers. When heading out for drinks, never forget to plan your trip back home. It is never safe or advisable to drive after consuming alcohol. CDC reported a total of 10,497 deaths due to drunk driving in the US back in 2016. Avoid drunk driving at all costs to prevent putting yourself or others in danger.
Speeding
Follow the speed limit is important. These speed limits are there to control the flow of traffic and prevent accidents from happening in different areas. If you go extremely slow, you may cause traffic behind you and encounter angry drivers behind you. Driving too fast can lead to accidents and uncontrollable skidding when taking turns. The best thing to do is drive according to the speed limit as this is the safest option to do.
Tailgating
Tailgating another vehicle can put yourself at risk because each car needs room to safely slow down and stop. By tailgating, you may not be able to foresee the changes a car makes in front of you and this leads you to collide with the car.
It is important to have a safe following distance between you and the car in front of you to prevent unnecessary collisions from happening. Having a distance of at least 2 seconds between you and the car in front would normally count as a safe following distance on regular roads and good weather.
Putting makeup
Putting makeup on requires paying careful attention to your face. It is not safe to do this even when stuck on traffic or when the traffic light is red because just like texting, you may miss important queues that indicate that you should be moving your car already. You do not want to rush putting your makeup on or risk having it messed up because of having to continue driving again. If you are someone who puts on makeup, make it a point to do it before leaving the house or consider applying it in your parked car once reaching your destination.
