Cars are one of the many privileges of the 21st century. You can get anywhere, which once took people days, now in just a matter of minutes or hours. You can even transport goods and take leisurely drives without much of an inconvenience.
While cars have many advantages, they do come with some drawbacks. Namely, vehicle accidents are one of the highest leading causes of mortality rates. There are many causes of vehicle accidents and one of them is distracted driving. The following are a couple of causes of distracted driving:
1. Texting and driving
Alongside cars, phones are another 21st-century privilege that most people take advantage of. Without phones, many of the ways we communicate wouldn’t be available. And with the internet, many people have unlimited access to any form of information. All of this has its price, however, and that comes into play when people text and drive.
Texting is a huge distraction while driving. Not only does the driver have to take one hand off the wheel to text but they’ll have to pay more attention to their phone than what’s in front of their car. Even a moment of looking away from the road may be enough time for a vehicle accident.
One solution to ease this problem is putting the phone in the glove box and out of reach. If that doesn’t work, people should consider turning off their phones while driving.
2. Eating and drinking
While it may not seem all that bad, since many fast food restaurants provide drive-thrus, eating while driving can be just as distracting as a phone – if not more. Many people eat and drink while they drive, yet, one small accident could spell disaster.
For example, if someone spilled their food or drink, they may need to look away from the road to clean their mess. Likewise, if they get grease on their hands while driving, they may struggle to keep hold of the wheel to avoid danger.
Drivers should take every precaution to prevent a distracted driving accident. As such, drivers may need to consider waiting until they’re parked someplace safe before eating.
