Driving Tips > Safety Columns
Driven to distraction?
When you drive a motor vehicle, you take on a life-or-death responsibility – not just for yourself, but for your passengers and everyone else on the road.
That responsibility deserves your full attention. Distractions can dramatically increase your risk of an accident, with potentially fatal results.
- Adjusting the radio or changing CDs or tapes in your stereo while driving makes you six times more likely to have an accident.
- Talking on a cell phone increases your chance of an accident by four times.
- Outside distractions – from communicating with people in other vehicles to rubbernecking at roadside accidents – are involved in almost 30 per cent of “at fault” fatal accidents.
- Eating at the wheel, grooming on the go, smoking and interacting with passengers can all be dangerous distractions for a driver.
Reduce dangerous distractions
- Save your stereo adjustments for red lights.
- Set your cell phone to voice mail when you’re driving so you won’t feel the need to answer a ringing phone.
- Ask your passenger to take or make that call.
- Slow down but resist the urge to watch when passing any roadside distraction.
- Give yourself extra time in the morning or at lunch so you don’t need to eat or adjust your hair at the wheel.
For more information, watch The 60-Second Driver on CTV and check out the following sections on our website:
- Driver Distractions in Driving Tips
- You can also access the 60-Second Driver video on Driver Distractions directly
