Today I read an article from the RAA SA Motor Magazine about the 7 Deadliest In Car Distractions and thought that seeing as though we cannot control the horrible weather we are having and with the long weekend upon us, we could take a look at making inside the car as safe as possible.

Actor Robert Blake eats lunch in his car during a break from his civil trial Tuesday, Oct 25, 2005, outside the Los Angeles County superior courthouse in Burbank, Calif. Blake is being sued for wrongful death by the family of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) Original Filename: BLAKE_WIFE_SLAIN_LA106.jpg

A couple of these distractions came as no surprise to me;

Talking on mobile phones and eating and drinking while driving we all know can be very dangerous.

Another was using a GPS system (like TomTom or Navman), i found this a little puzzling though as these devices are designed to be used while driving! So you can use it to get directions, but if you use it while you are driving you are more likely to have an accident.

Roadside diversions were another of the 7 Deadliest, in the form of roadworks, accidents, emergency vehicles and slow-moving traffic. So whether you are bored in peak hour traffic and losing concentration or trying to get out of the way of a blaring ambulance you will need to be aware of the vehicles around you as these distractions can be fatal.

I’m a fan of turning the radio up while i’m driving in traffic and having a bit of a driving dance, however i might need to rethink my driving dance next time as music is on the list too. It seems that the second you turn your head to change CD, radio station or skip a song on your ipod, could be that second you should have had your eyes on the road.

Do you ever apply or reapply makeup while driving? I have seen someone shaving with an electric razor while driving! Well, grooming while driving can be dangerous! It seems that the moments we take to look at ourselves in the mirror, we all do it, when we should be watching the road is the cause of many accidents.

The last of the 7 Deadliest In-Car Distractions is the one most likely to be the cause of any accidents i have, passengers. As a parent of 3 small children I can totally see how dangerous it can be to have passengers who distract from driving. I do not go on one car trip without turning around numerous times while driving to pass them something, pick something up that they have dropped or to stop them from nearly killing each other.

How do you rate with these distractions?

Take a few moments to think about the one that is most dangerous to you. Do any of these things take your attention away from the very important job of driving?

After reading these and thinking about which ones are most common for me, i’m going to look at how i can reduce these distractions to keep me and my family safe, i hope you will too.

Take a look at the article in the RAA Magazine here;
http://www.raa.com.au/samotor_article.aspx?id=124&TerID=1228

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