Tips To Prevent Distracted Driving Accidents Caused By You

If you have recently caused a car accident, either partially or fully, due to your own distracted driving and you were sued in the process, then you likely are relieved that the legal battle is over. However, you probably never want to deal with being sued ever again. One good way to keep this from happening is to do your best to prevent distracted driving in the future. A few tips, like the ones outlined here, can definitely help you.

Add Cellular Control Technology

About 90% of all American adults owns a cell phone with 64% of the population owning smartphones. Around 67% of cell phone users check for messages, calls, and alerts automatically throughout the day, even when they do not notice the phone ringing and vibrating. Almost 30% of people say they cannot live without their phones, and 44% of people sleep with their cells next to the bed. These statistics indicate that most people are dependent on their phones, and if you are one of these individuals, this can easily lead to the automatic answering of calls or checking messages, even when you are driving. This can lead to distracting driving without you even noticing what you are doing. This means that the best way to cut down on cellular usage is to make sure the phone does not work at all when you are driving. 

The best way to stop cell phones from working is to implement a control system in your car that automatically blocks you from using your phone when your vehicle is moving. Most of these systems use a trigger device that is installed in the vehicle's on-board diagnostic system. A plug on the device allows for this. An application must also be placed on your phone. The diagnostic system of the car informs the trigger when the car is moving and a signal is sent to your cell to block you from checking email, texting, taking photographs, using the internet, or opening applications. You also will be unable to use your phone unless you call an emergency number like 911.

If you decide to opt for a cellular blocking system, then make sure to purchase one with an internal computer chip that compiles data while you drive. The date and time when you drive as well as your speed and the phone blocking activation can all be tracked. This way, the data can be used to provide proof that you were driving in a safe and legal manner if an accident does occur in the future.

Stop Driving While Tired

If you typically drive while you are tired, then this is another kind of distracted driving that needs to be avoided. More than 60% of adults indicated that they drove while drowsy or tired within the last year. Drowsy driving is dangerous because it causes you to be distracted, even when you are trying to concentrate on driving. Being sleepy slows your reaction time, reduces your awareness of your surroundings, and impairs your judgement. In many ways, drowsy driving mimics the way you would drive while under the influence of alcohol, and one in six fatal crashes are caused by drowsy driving. This is compared to the one in three deadly accidents caused by alcohol-impaired drivers. 

While it may be easy for you to understand that you probably should not drive after a bad night's sleep or after being awake for a long time, you may not understand that driving while under the effects of a large sleep debt can be dangerous too. Sleep debt is the accumulation of lost sleep over the course of days or weeks, and this debt will build up over time and cause sleep deprivation issues that are similar to you not sleeping at all. In fact, if you sleep less than six hours a night for two weeks, then you will function the same as if you missed 24 hours of sleep at the end of the two week period. Basically, if you miss some sleep every night, then your mind and body will eventually start to act as if you have not slept at all.

To reduce distracted driving concerns caused by drowsy driving and your accumulated sleep debt, make sure to get a good night's sleep every night. As an adult, you should try to get between seven and a half and nine hours of sleep a night. 

For more information, contact a car accident lawyer.