Most people know that there are certain things you just shouldn’t do when you’re driving. However, considering the number of car accidents as a result of distracted driving, it would appear that many people simply didn’t get the memo.
To help refresh your memory, and keep yourself and others safe on the road, here are some of the most important things you should absolutely never do while driving.
Sleep
Usually, people who sleep behind the wheel don’t do it on purpose. After all, it’s kind of hard to aim the direction of your vehicle when your eyes are closed. However, there are certain measures that can be taken to avoid falling asleep.
First of all, you shouldn’t drive if you’re feeling extremely tired in the first place. Second of all, if you start to feel yourself getting drowsy while driving, it’s important that you pull over and take a nap. Get some rest until you are able to keep going and drive again. Even though you might be in a hurry to get to your destination, nothing is worth risking your life over.
Eat
It may seem innocent to kill two birds with one stone and have a bite to eat while driving. However, eating while you’re driving can be a huge risk. When eating while driving you can take your attention away from the road, since eating itself is an activity other than driving.
Not to mention, when you’re eating you have one hand less on the wheel. You’re better off eating before you take the wheel, or after. But under no circumstances should you combine meal time and driving time.
Texting
While talking on the phone isn’t necessarily ideal, it’s still doable while driving. Since they have hands-free methods now, it’s possible to take a call while driving if absolutely necessary.
However, texting of any sort is not recommended while driving since you take away one hand from the wheel. Not to mention, even the best texters have to look away from the road at their screen in order to make sure that they’re texting the right words. You’re better off waiting until your car is completely stopped before sending a text.
Tailgating
Just because the car in front of you isn’t going quite as quickly as you’d like it to doesn’t mean you should ride its tail. Driving too close to the car ahead can cause a serious accident since you never know what kind of sudden moves they can make.
Whether an animal passes in front of their car, or they need to turn suddenly, you need to have enough space between you and them to be able to break in time. If you aren’t satisfied with the speed of the vehicle going in front of you, either be patient, take an alternate route, or wait until you can pass them—tailgating is never the solution.
