Distracted driving is a dangerous practice that kills thousands of people across the United States every year. A distraction is anything that takes your hands, eyes, or mind off of the driving task. This can include talking on a handheld phone, changing the music, becoming engrossed in a conversation, or turning to talk to people in the back seat.
Kids who are passengers in the car can easily create a distracted driving situation, putting the car’s occupants, other drivers, and pedestrians at risk. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, kids can be four times as distracting as adults and infants can be eight times as much as distracting. Kids can even be far more dangerous and distracting than texting while driving, according to AAA.
Children can demand a dangerous amount of attention as they often do not understand or appreciate how their actions affect your driving. Turning to look at them in the backseat, looking at them in the rearview mirror, or being startled by a sudden scream can be enough to cause a devastating accident.
Many parents also engage in multitasking with young children in the car, which is equally as dangerous. Dad may take his mind off of driving to try to reason with a crying toddler, or Mom may take her hands off the wheel for a few moments to retrieve a dropped toy. Dad may be trying to stop two children from hitting each other while still trying to navigate through traffic, resulting in an accident.
Driving with children in the car presents a special set of challenges that makes driving much riskier for everyone involved.
Tips for Avoiding Kid Distractions While Driving
Use the following tips to avoid being distracted by your children while you’re driving. Doing so will keep you, your children, and other drivers safer.
1. Pretend You’re a Pilot
Do you know how pilots go through an extensive checklist before they take off on a flight? Do the same before you start driving. Ensure that every child is properly buckled in, has something to keep them occupied, and has their snacks. This way you don’t have to try to carry out these tasks while driving
2. Enlist the Help of Another Adult
If there is another adult in the car, this is your time to hand off kid-wrangling duties and simply focus on driving. Let that person be in charge of retrieving items, breaking up kid squabbles, and distributing snacks.
3. Talk to the Kids
If the children are old enough, talk to them about how to conduct themselves in the car. Tell them that sudden screams startle you and can make it unsafe. Let them know that Mom is not available to hand out snacks while she’s driving. Let them know that they have to wait until the car is parked before getting items or food. Tell them to never ever throw things in the car, cover the driver’s eyes, or throw things out of the window.
4. Provide an Activity for the Kids
If ongoing distractions are a regular problem when driving with the kids, provide them with a distraction of your own to keep them occupied. A tablet, music and headphones, cell phone, puzzle book, or another toy can be a valuable aid in keeping them engaged and silent. The most important thing is that they will be too busy to keep you from focusing on the driving task.
There are already enough things to worry about when you’re driving, and your kids don’t need to be one of them. You could be injured by a drunk driver, injured as a result of a design flaw, or hurt by an uninsured driver. Unlike these other situations, your children’s behavior in the car is something that is (usually) within your control.
When it comes to driving while distracted, most people think that cell phones are the most dangerous element in the car. Surprisingly, it can be our darling little ones. By following a few tips and understanding the dangers, you will be in a better position to keep your focus and keep everyone safe while driving.
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