Distracted Driving-Keep Your Eyes on the Road

The late 1960s rock band The Doors sang, “Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel.” Legend has it that the band’s late lead singer, Jim Morrison, came up with the lines after riding with his girlfriend to a cottage they owned outside Los Angeles. She was driving erratically. More than 40 years have elapsed since The Doors released that song, and the lines could now serve in a public safety campaign against the dangers of what authorities call “distracted driving.”

Distracted driving is a “dangerous epidemic” on American roads, claiming 3,166 lives in 2017 alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). Law enforcement agencies put much of the blame texting while driving. The cell phone industry has resisted legislation that cracks down on cell phone use while driving. Calling and texting from cell phones while driving are perhaps the best-known examples of distracted driving, but other examples occur as well.

Distracted driving reflects our lives becoming busier and more complicated, and our efforts to multitask. Being stuck in traffic during long commutes to the office or back home might tempt us to perform such tasks during our drives. However, to stay on the safe side, put off these activities while driving. Getting into a crash will defeat your multitasking efforts. Some of the precautions you can take to ensure your safety include:

• Fully focus on driving.
• Finish dressing and personal dressing at home.
• Put aside your electronic distractions.

Taking these measures will make your drive safer and alert you to potentially dangerous situations, such as a mechanical breakdown, a collision ahead of your or a deer darting across the road.

Even if you take steps to avoid distractions while driving, you cannot control the behavior of other motorists. They might be texting while you keep your eyes on the road and hands upon the wheel. If the actions of a distracted driver have harmed you or killed a family members, consider consulting a personal injury attorney to help you settle your case.