7 Distracted Driving Habits That You Need to End Now ...

Ladies, texting and driving is so dangerous. This may be the most dangerous of the distracted driving habits that there are. So many wrecks, injuries and fatalities have resulted because of this. While I will admit that I have done this before, I have pretty much broken this habit. I have done this not only for my safety and that of my children but also because my teenage children are watching me and will be driving one day soon themselves. I do not want to set a poor example for them.

Talking on your cell is not nearly as distracting as texting but it can be somewhat distracting. I have found that I am more distracted if it is a conversation that I need to really concentrate on such as a business call. When I am talking to a friend, this does not seem to take as much attention on my part. Either way, it really isn’t good to take part in this habit. It can also be more distracting if you are in an area where your total focus needs to be on the route you are on and where you are going.

This is another bad habit I have had to work on. I end up applying makeup while driving when I do not allow myself enough time to get ready before I leave home. Although I will admit to applying a bit of mascara or lipstick at red lights, I have come a long way in breaking this habit. The problem about applying makeup when you are driving is that your eyes are on a mirror and not on the road. I believe of all the makeup you can apply while driving, eyeliner is the absolute worst. Stop this habit and just allow more time at home.

Smoking isn’t too terrible in the way of distracted driving when compared to others. But it does take some of your attention off of your driving. It also presents a potential hazard. When you are smoking, you run the risk of burning yourself which is definitely going to affect your driving. Wait until you stop driving to smoke.

This one sneaks up on us. We are driving along and our thoughts are far, far away. We may be mentally solving a problem at work or hashing over an argument we had with our best friend. This is not a good scenario. We are paying less attention than we should be to the road. Try to keep your focus on the road and your driving.

We live in a very fast paced society. Because of that, we often end up eating on the run. This is not good because you are trying to do two things at one time which is going to lead to both of them not being done well. You can also end up with spills which cause even more distracted driving while you try to clean the spill up. Take time to eat before you drive.

We don’t tend to include this one in our list of distracted driving but we really should. When you are looking for something in your car, your eyes are off the road. And if you find it, more than likely, at least one hand will be off the wheel while you reach for it. If you lean over or back, you could even end up unintentionally swerving which is very dangerous. Wait until you stop before you reach for the item.

Distracted driving is something we all need to work on stopping. What about you? Have you been guilty of any of these?