Each year there are more than six million car accidents in the U.S. that result in over 40,000 deaths and injure millions more. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 16 percent of those fatal car accidents are caused by distracted driving.
To help prevent accidents and fatalities, the NHTSA says there are five things you should not do while driving:
- Sleep
- Drink alcoholic beverages
- Send or read electronic messages, such as texts or emails
- Multitask, such as reading, putting on makeup, fiddling with GPS systems
- Allow your emotions to get the better of you
More than 100,000 accidents are caused by people who fall asleep at the wheel. Experts say if you are tired or drowsy, you should pull over to a safe place on the side of the road or into a parking area and take a nap. If you are driving with another licensed driver, then let that person drive.
Avoiding alcohol when driving is a message repeated daily. Alcohol impairs your ability to make sudden decisions and thus makes you a danger on the road. Depending on your size and weight, even just one drink can impair your ability to drive. Thousands of people are killed and injured each year due to drunk driving accidents.
Texting or using a cell phone also impairs your driving ability because you take your eyes from where they belong - on the road. Texting is not only dangerous on a straight road but also becomes even more hazardous when you're trying to negotiate even the slightest of turns.
Road rage or other emotional outbursts serve as distractions as does multitasking - concentrating on other things other than your driving - and also claim lives. Like texting, multitasking is a distraction. So put the makeup kit, notebook or smartphone away and keep your eyes on the road.
