April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the National Safety Council reports at least eight people are killed every day in distracted driving-related crashes, according to Safety+Health magazine.
The National Safety Council identifies the following three types of distracted driving:
- Visual. This type of distraction causes you to take your eyes off the road; for example, turning to look at someone in the back seat.
- Manual. This type of distraction causes you to take your hands off the wheel; for example, eating or using your cellphone.
- Cognitive. This type of distraction causes you to take your mind off the task of driving safely; for example, daydreaming.
The National Safety Council recommends avoiding distracted driving by pausing before you depart to do the following things: adjust your car’s side mirrors and rearview mirror; choose what you want to listen to; if using GPS, enter the address and check the route so you can keep your eyes on the road when driving.
The council also recommends avoiding multitasking and keeping your hands on the wheel. If you need to make a call or help someone in the back seat, be sure to pull over in a safe, well-lit location to do so.
