Safety Tips on How to Avoid Distracted Driving Accidents

Did you know that April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month? There are several things that can turn us all into distracted drivers. Know what they are and avoid them yourself. Notice distracted drivers and practice defensive driving before there is a problem.

5 Common Distracted Driving Activities:

Changing radio stations until you find a good song
Checking on your baby in the back seat
Grabbing a quick bite for lunch to eat on the way to your next meeting
Checking on, or posting to social media accounts
Texting, or even simply talking on the phone

The list could continue on and on. If our attention is not 100% on the road in front of us, we are being distracted in some way or another.

We’ve All Been There

Let’s be honest, we’re all guilty of being distracted while driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2017 saw over 3,000 people killed in auto accidents caused by distracted drivers. The sad thing is, distracted driving is completely avoidable.

Yes We Can

Put down our phones.
Wait until we’re at a red light to change the radio station.
Pull off to the side of the road if we need to check on our children.

No one’s life is worth losing. No accident is worth having because we allowed ourselves to get distracted.

Why Premiums go Up

Most of our customers mention their frustrations about increasing auto insurance premiums. Several factors such as distracted driving cause companies to increase their rates annually.

Your driving effects what you pay in premium. Keep a clean driving record and take a Defensive Driving class. Most carriers now offer Driver Tracking apps which can help to improve your driving habits. These programs come with discounts that can lower your rates. Each carrier offers different discount options. Give us a call, 405-769-6701 or stop by and ask us about our different carriers and what they offer.

Only 5 Seconds

The advent of social media and smartphones exponentially increased distracted driving accidents. Taking your eyes off the road for 5 seconds, at highway speeds, is like driving the length of a football field completely blindfolded. Think about that for a second; how much did you miss in that 5 seconds because you while distracted? The car in front of you coming to a stop? The deer running out in front of you? Or, maybe even the school bus that has opened their ‘Stop’ sign because children are getting off of the bus?

Make the Pledge

Again, distracted driving is completely avoidable. Make the pledge to put away and avoid all interruptions while behind the wheel. It could save you from serious accidents. Maybe one day it could help with our premiums as well. Insurance carriers would no longer have to pay thousands of dollars covering the liability of distracted drivers. Thus, potentially sustaining rates for everybody. Even more importantly, putting away all distractions could save a life.

Remember, it is now illegal to text and drive in the state of Oklahoma.

One of our best insurance carriers, Safeco has shared a great resource. Learn more about distracted driving from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.