Road safety: It takes constant focus

When is the last time you found yourself thinking about something else besides the road and the cars around you while you were driving? After all, with the many ways COVID-19 has changed our lives in the past couple of years, the distractions of everyday life have increased exponentially. That situation doesn’t seem to be changing dramatically for most of us yet, even with lower reported numbers of cases in the population and a new booster vaccine coming available to those over 50.

So there can be an unexpected call or text to distract you as you drive, and if it’s from a family member, for instance, or other loved one in need of some help or emotional support, it can be very tempting to “just this once” reply while continuing to drive. But all it takes is once. Driving without hands on the wheel and eyes on the road can result in tragic consequences that can never be changed.

Or, it can be something else besides answering your phone: There can be a cup of coffee in your holder that spills on a curve; or you may be grabbing a bite while out doing chores and make the decision to keep driving while doing it to save time; or you may be resetting music or NPR in the car. The list can go on. None of these are worth risking your life, or the lives of those around you on the road.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month, sponsored by the National Safety Council. If that seems contrived somehow or unnecessary, think about any traffic accident you’ve heard of or been a part of in the past. How many happened in the aftermath of a driver becoming distracted by something inside the vehicle? Part of the road danger can be that moment of distraction when something unexpected happens outside the car: an animal runs across the road or a vehicle cuts you off. If your eyes aren’t on the road, the odds of coming through such events unscathed decrease greatly.

Read the NSC Just Drive Pledge, which you can take on the NSC website, www.nsc.org. It’s all good advice and worth focusing on while driving.

For more on distracted driving, go to www.nsc.org/road-safety.