5 Things You Should Never Do While Driving That Could Cause A Crash

Posted on: 5 January 2015

Whether you have been driving for only a few months, or a few decades, you have most likely already developed what you think is a good sense of what you should never do while you are driving. However, crashes with other vehicles are often caused by the small things that you really never looked at as a threat to your driving capabilities.  Besides the normal stuff, like texting or trying to apply your makeup, there are five things you should never try to do while you are driving your car.

1. Argue with Your Passenger - When two people are in a heated conversation, they tend to want to look at each other and use hand expressions to make a point. Taking your eyes off the road to direct an eye-roll at your passenger or throwing your hands in the air for a split second could cause an automobile accident.

2. Write Something Down - When you think about it, this one makes a lot of sense since cell phones account for 23 percent of all collisions. Taking your eyes off the road to jot down a number, or anything, is not a good idea.

3. Connect Your Phone to the Stereo - That handy aux cable to connect your phone is easy enough to plug in for most drivers, but will still distract your attention from where it needs to be for a few seconds. According to distraction.gov, in 2012 more than 400,000 accidents were caused by distracted drivers. So, wait for a stoplight, or just pullover first to avoid causing an injury to another driver or yourself.

4. Video Chat on Your Phone - So you know not to text while you drive and even talking on the phone is prohibited in some states, so that leaves one other option -- video chat. However, this is just as bad as the aforementioned two. When you are face to face with a caller, you will want to make eye contact as usual, which will leave you blindly sailing down the road for seconds at a time.

5. Jamming Out and Belting Tunes - Sure, music is a good way to pass the time while you drive. However, when your favorite song comes on and it gives you the urge to really get with the music, this is not the best idea. While hitting high notes, you will involuntarily close your eyes, which is not good for obvious reasons. Further, one Canadian report states that loud music may cause as much as a 20 percent slower completion of certain tasks, which could lead to slower reaction times on the highway.

To make sure you are never held liable for another driver's injuries due to a crash, paying attention on the road at every moment is crucial. It is much easier to change bad habits than it would be to have to face an automobile accident lawyer hired to pursue a claim against you.

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