You could easily get distracted at the wheel of a car, here's the top ten provided by i-kube.
1. Talking on mobile phones
Talking on a mobile phone whilst driving is probably the single most distracting thing you can do. Apart from the fact that talking on a mobile phone whilst driving is against the law it is also extremely dangerous. Research indicates that a quarter of road accidents reported by to the police are as a result of drivers becoming distracted at thewheel. More concerningly the risk of having an accident is increased by up to 4 times as much as normal.
2. Texting on mobile phones
Texting or reading text messages on a mobile phone whilst driving is REALLY not a good idea. Did you know, according to a study by Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport in Michigan, that, on average, the stopping distance for a car travelling 35mph is increased to 70 feet whilst sending a text and 36 feet whilst reading a text message? For this reason alone you really should not send or read text messages whilst driving - the risks are too great and certainly not worth it.
3. Changing Radio stations
We've all been there - you're sitting in the car listening to some DJ drone on and on about what they did over the weekend where all you want to hear is drive-time music. Changing the radio station whilst driving is incredibly distracting and can lead to accidents if you're not vigilant. There are a few ways around this, from picking out a CD/cassette/mp3 album you want to listen to and sticking to it throughout the journey or, alternatively, simply set the radio to a station you want to listen to before setting off. Even if you have to sit through a DJ telling you about his dull weekend - it's better than being involved in a car accident surely?!
4. Eating
It's been suggested that eating can be incredibly distracting whilst driving as many argue that the driver isn't necessarily in complete control of the vehicle. In fact road safety groups have suggested that eating whilst driving is a risk equivalent to that of driving whilst using a mobile phone.
5. Conversations with passengers
Chatting away to your mate whilst driving has been known to result in car accidents. Simply put - you should never allow yourself to become distracted whilst at the wheel of a car. If needs be - ask your passenger to be quiet (nicely).
6. Checking Out Accidents
Oddly enough, checking ouy a car accident on the other side of the road has occasionally lead to pileups as other divers strain to see what has happened. Try not to let yourself be distracted by roadside accidents whilst driving otherwise even more lives could be put at stake.
7. Road Rage
Road rage is quite a common reason for accidents. For example, if somebody cuts you up whilst driving along a fast road, almost causing an accident could lead to an actual accident if you let your temper get the better of you. If this kind of thing happens simply take a deep breath and slow down to avoid hitting anyone. If needs be then pull-over in a safe place and try to relax before starting to drive again.
8. Lighting a cigarette
Lighting a cigarette whilst driving can be quite a big distraction as you tend to be more focused on getting the cigarette lit than you are on the drive - potentially very dangerous. If you do smoke then consider lighting a cigarette before you leave or, if you're really dying for one whilst driving, pull over somewhere safe and light-up before driving again. Alternatively - why not try giving up completely? It's certainly better for your health and you could help save more than one life by doing this.
9. Arguments
Try to avoid arguments with other people whilst in the car - this can be a serious distraction and could, potentially cause accidents as well as act as a pre-cursor to road rage, putting even more people at risk.
10. Kids in the car
Having kids in the car is a big distraction - whether they're your kids or someone else’s. Let's face it - they get bored pretty quickly on a long drive and they like to make a lot of noise. Unfortunately there is little you can do about this, apart from keeping them occupied with things to do - you could consider keeping a portable DVD player in the car or having some simple travel games to hand.
Stay safe everyone!
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