It's all-too-easy to get distracted when you're on the road,
and recognizing the danger of distractions and knowing how to keep them
to a minimum is a vital part of driving safely. That’s why GEM Motoring Assist,
a road safety and breakdown recovery organization based in the
U.K., has published a list of key tips to help drivers stay focused on
safe driving.
"As drivers we now deal with more distractions than ever before,"
road safety author Sandra Macdonald-Ames wrote in the Autumn edition of
Good Motoring, GEM’s quarterly member magazine. "There are so many
potential demands on our attention, some inside the car, some on the
outside and others occurring inside our heads."
"There is the
potential for us to allow any distraction to take our minds off the
central task of driving – with potentially disastrous consequences."
"But
the good news is that we can banish just about any distraction, as long
as we want to," she added. "This is best achieved through
straightforward self-discipline and sensible journey planning."
Here are GEM’s six tips for banishing distractions on road journeys:
Leave the phone alone
Unless
it is an emergency, you must not use your phone whilst driving.
Consider putting it out of reach to remove the temptation. Younger
drivers call the glove box the phone box. Switch the phone to silent and
turn off the Bluetooth: this will prevent messages coming through, but
it is still available in an emergency.
Journey’s end
Plan
the journey in advance so that you are aware of your approximate route.
Satnavs are great for the last part of a journey if you have not been
there before, so how about using Google Streetview before you go? This
will give you a feel for the destination and where the turnings are, so
it helps reduce stress as the route will feel familiar.
Music presets
Choose
your favorites in advance such as on your phone’s playlist, with a
stack of CDs - or preset your favorite radio stations. This ensures you
don’t need to do any fiddling on a journey. Keep the volume down to a
reasonable level to allow you to have more awareness of what’s going on
around you.
The restaurant on wheels is closed
Consider having breakfast
before you set off for work, not while you’re on the way. For longer
trips, plan regular drinks breaks. Yes, cars have cup holders but when
you’re driving, you take a risk by choosing to eat and drink as well.
Keep fresh and alert
We
tend to look for distractions on long journeys to ease the boredom.
Much better to make regular stops of at least 15 minutes every two hours
or 100 miles (160 kilometers). Get some fresh air by walking around,
have some coffee or light refreshments and enjoy a short power nap.
Occupy your passengers
If you’re traveling with young
children, make sure there is plenty to keep them occupied, as this will
help ensure they don’t distract you. Who wants the "are we nearly there
yet?" question five minutes after setting off? Older children should be
more able to understand the risks, so you can use them as a second pair
of eyes. This helps teenagers to develop hazard perception skills early.
