Does a cold chill rush down your spine when you meet an 18-wheeler on the highway? It happens more often than not, especially for the ones who drive small cars.
A truck accident lawyer would give you a list of rules to follow after a truck accident. They have handled enough cases over the past decade. In 2017, around 4800 deaths happened due to truck accidents in the United States.
Who Is to Blame in the Case of a Truck Accident?
It is definite that trucks are larger than most vehicles, and harder to control, especially when there is a dysfunctional part–for instance the brakes. However, that doesn’t mean that the other drivers always come out clean. On average, 10% of accidents are caused by a distracted driver. This is alarming. What could be the problem?
What Are the Causes of Distracted Driving?
Cell Phones
You should be mindful of these gadgets. It is unfortunate that 26% of car accidents are caused by cell phones, according to the Safety Council. So many people tend to talk or text while driving, causing unnecessary tragedy that would possibly be avoided.
Daydreaming
You can easily get lost in your thoughts when driving especially if tired or when having decisional matters to ponder on. Keep your focus right and rest enough before navigating the roads.
Daydreaming can easily cause mistakes like missing signs and being on the wrong lane. Postpone those contemplations; they are not worth losing your life.
Regulating Controls
Probably the radio is way too loud, and the knob needs to be adjusted, or be switched off completely to tune into a favorite mix on your flash drive. However, it can’t be found. This becomes the search hour, with zero idea of how all could be lost in a blink of an eye!
Make sure you set things up before setting off to drive.
Talking to Passengers
It is quite impossible to keep your mouth shut all day, especially if you work as a Uber driver or something. Little distractions save the day: you never know who you could be sitting next to.
Striking up that conversation might lead you to your next level, but you end up overdoing it and forgetting that you were the one in the steering wheel. The commuters also need to get to their destination; always remember that.
Handling Pets and Children
It is a bit risky to have your pet or child loose around the car while driving. Have them comfortably buckled up and attend to their needs before the journey begins. Supposing it is the case that an emergency is needed, it is advisable to pull off the road to enable secure assistance.
Eating or Drinking
Eating while driving could be an extreme sport, especially when dealing with plastic cups and tearing of bags. It may be cheap to consume fast food while driving, but more expensive to deal with the consequences of an accident. Why wouldn’t you eat your meal on arrival, if not before departure?
Rubbernecking
A prolonged gaze could stagger your car into the wrong place. Hardly anything would stop you from staring at something that seems out of the norm. However, as a driver you should shift consciousness back so fast. Too much gaze is poisonous to your journey.
How Can You Avoid Distractions While Driving?
Most automobiles have in built hands free devices, activate them for use in case of emergencies. Also, program your GPS before driving to avoid distractions, ensure the safety of pets and children in the car before setting out, and lastly, just eat before you drive.