Even drivers who consider themselves to be ‘very safe’ often put themselves and other road users in jeopardy by engaging in a whole host of activities that can be just as dangerous as driving drunk… driving distracted. In some areas, distraction has been shown to be a factor in 8 out of 10 car accidents, and studies have proved that experienced drivers are just as impaired by distractions as are novice drivers. While car insurance can cover the physical damage to your vehicle and other people’s property, it can’t necessarily cover the most precious things in your car… the people! So today we are looking at how to keep distraction at bay while driving, with 8 simple tips.

1. Turn your mobile phone off or to silent

Some studies indicate that talking with a hands free kit is just as dangerous as holding the phone. Scientists have shown that the visual cortex lights up when we are talking on the phone, and guess what – if your visual cortex is processing imaginary information about the person you are conversing with, it isn’t processing incoming information from the road.

2. Set your kids up with toys etc before you set off

It’s easy to rationalise reaching into the backseat to retrieve a dropped toy, by thinking that the sound of screaming will be just as distracting as the reachback manoeuvre. Avoid both of those distractions by setting up your kids with plenty of toys before you set off. Train them to know that if they drop them, you’ll get them as soon as you’ve stopped. Make sure their toys don’t include balls, or anything else that could roll under your pedals.

3. Plan your route if you are going somewhere you don’t know

Reading a map, whether it is on paper or coming through a GPS system, is a major distraction. If you are travelling somewhere new, plan your route first – revise it several times before you leave. Your map should only be a refresher, and checked only while you’re stationary.

4. Don’t eat, drink or smoke while driving

Do this well before you leave! Cigarette smoking might seem like a minimal distraction compared to eating or drinking… until you accidentally flick the hot ash into the car rather than out the window!

5. Engage child locks on the back doors

Make sure that yours and your family’s safety doesn’t become a battle between an immediate danger and trying to remain undistracted. Engage the child locks, and know that you can peacefully concentrate on the road no matter how much they try to rile you up.

6. Recruit your passengers to adjust the radio, read maps, answer phone calls, tend to kids, etc

If your passenger does it, you don’t have to think about it! I can’t imagine any passenger objecting to making such an important contribution to safety, for the sake of doing a five-second job.

7. Put your windows down for increased speed awareness

Do you tend to forget about checking your speedometer? Put your windows down to help provide additional awareness of your speed.

8. Remember that if you are travelling at 100km/h, you cover 30 metres every second

Given that an ‘average’ reaction time is around 3 seconds, even with full attention driving is dangerous. If you are distracted, your reaction time could increase infinitely… as dangers enter your field of vision, but simply don’t register until you’ve hit them.

So when you’re driving, just drive – your car insurance rating 1, your money, and most importantly, yours and your family’s lives are at stake.

Youi offers tailor-made car insurance that could save you lots of money. At Youi we ask the right questions so that you don’t pay for car insurance you don’t need. You interested? Go to youi.com.au for a smarter way of doing Car Insurance.