Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving Diminish Danger on the Road

As the Allen Law Firm recently explained in a previous blog about
distracted driving,distracted driving is a deadly habit. As part of the Gainesville, Ocala,
and North Central Floridacommunities, the Allen Law Firm would like to
encourage drivers to prevent car accidents by asking all drivers to commit
to focusing only on the road.

As
82% of Americans ages 16-17 own cell phones, teenagers are the group of drivers
most likely to be distracted while driving. As
Distraction.gov reports, “Ten percent of drivers of all ages under the age of twenty
involved in fatal crashes were ‘distracted’ at the time of
the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were
distracted.”

However,
studies show that 27% of adults have
sent or received text messages while driving, and one in five drivers of all ages confess to surfing the web while driving. Younger drivers are apparently learning from the example of adults, as
48% of young drivers report that they have seen their parents drive
while talking on a cellphone, and 15% have seen their parents drive while texting.

Tips To Avoid Distracted Driving

Though breaking bad habits can be a difficult, our lives depend upon it.
As with any change of behavior,
this change will require additional forethought, prudence, and responsibility. The
Allen Law Firm recommends the following:

  1. Limit cell phone use. To take more extreme measures for the sake of safety, turn your cell phone
    off as soon as you get in the car and store it somewhere out of reach.
  2. Learn state and local laws. The majority of states in America have
    banned cell phone use for novice and teen drivers, and forty-six states, including Florida, have banned
    text messaging for all drivers. Several states have prohibited the use of
    hand-held cell phones while driving.
  3. Let others know the law. If you know you are going to be driving for a long period of time, record
    a voicemail message informing others that you will not be available while
    you are driving, or sign up for a service that will do so for you. If
    you have a passenger in the car, delegate all cell phone usage to them.
  4. Leave multitasking alone. Eating, drinking, grooming, navigating, reading, smoking, and socializing
    are activities that many people try to attempt while driving, and all
    can be just as dangerous. Therefore,
    finish these tasks before or after you drive, not during. With children and pets, be sure they are completely secure
    before you start to drive, and pull over if they need attention. Also,
    especially with younger drivers, limit the number of passengers allowed
    in the car so that it is easier to commit full attention to driving.

Safer Driving

As a general rule, remember that
anything that takes your attention away from driving is a distraction, and any distraction has the potential to be very dangerous. It is your
responsibility to focus on driving when you are behind the wheel. Keep
your eyes constantly scanning the road, checking the mirrors, and watching
for pedestrians in order to be fully aware of your driving environment.
The last thing you want is an accident. The
Allen Law Firm cares for you and cares for your community, so
call if you have questions or if you’ve experienced an accident or personal
injury that was caused by a distracted driver. We are available 24/7,
and will provide the legal assistance you need.

Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in North Central Florida

If you need legal assistance, contact the Gainesville personal injury lawyers at Allen Law Firm at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We have two convenient locations in North Central Florida:

Allen Law Firm, P.A. – Gainesville office
2550 SW 76th St #150
Gainesville, FL 32608
(877) 255-3652

Allen Law Firm, P.A. – Ocala Office
112 S Pine Ave
Ocala, FL 34471
(352) 351-3258