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Focusing on Prevention for Distracted Driving Awareness Month

According to the National Safety Council, at least nine Americans lose their lives to distracted driving accidents each day. This statistic proves that distracted driving continues to be a serious issue on roadways and highways throughout the United States.

To bring awareness to distracted driving and reduce its prevalence, April was named Distracted Driving Awareness Month. By making an effort to prevent distracted driving, you can play a role in saving lives. Below, we outline several pieces of advice that can help you avoid distracted behaviors behind the wheel, and the serious ramifications that come with it.

Did you incur injuries in a wreck that was not your fault? Contact a Texas car accident lawyer from Begum Law Group Injury Lawyers for help. Call (866) 523-4167, or reach out online to schedule a free consultation of your case with The Law Giant.

What Constitutes Distracted Driving?

The practice of operating a motor vehicle while engaging in another activity is known as distracted driving. This type of behavior diverts your attention away from the road and significantly increases your risk of causing a crash. Even one second of engaging in a distracting activity can prevent you from being able to slow down or stop in time, therefore leading to an accident.

Some of the most common distracted driving activities include:

  • Texting
  • Checking email or social media
  • Eating and/or drinking
  • Brushing your hair and applying makeup
  • Fumbling with your radio controls
  • Grabbing an item out of your purse
  • Talking to passengers

How to Prevent Distracted Driving

There are a variety of ways you can prevent distracted driving and keep yourself as well as other motorists safe, including:

Hide your phone.
Since one of the most common causes of distracted driving is phone use, it’s a good idea to hide your phone so that it’s out of sight, and out of mind. You can keep it in your back seat or even your trunk if you’ll be tempted to reach for it. Get into the habit of making phone calls, sending texts, and checking emails before you get behind the wheel.

Limit the number of passengers in your vehicle.
The more passengers there are in your vehicle, the more likely you are to become distracted. Therefore, consider limiting the number of people you drive around. In the event you have to transport many passengers, ask them to avoid engaging in conversation with you until you get to your destination.

Avoid multitasking.
If you lead a busy life, you may want to brush your hair and apply makeup while you’re driving to work. This is particularly true if you woke up late and didn’t have time to get ready at home. You may also want to send some emails while you’re driving so that you can take care of other tasks when you get to the office. While multitasking may seem like a good idea, it can cause a serious accident and should be avoided at all costs.

Pull over if necessary.
Sometimes, you simply cannot wait to get to your destination to take care of something. If you’re starving and need to eat breakfast, have to take care of an urgent work email before you arrive at the office, or need to call someone before the business day is over, pull over and do so. There’s no reason to put your life at risk when you can just pull over.

Contact The Law Giant for Help

If you’ve been hurt in a crash that was caused by a distracted driver, it’s important to seek legal representation as soon as possible. At Begum Law Group Injury Lawyers, our experienced car accident lawyers can help you determine fault and may be able to assist you in securing compensation for your damages. We encourage you to contact us at (866) 523-4167, or to reach out through our online form to schedule a free, initial evaluation of your case.

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