The Importance of Distraction-Free Driving

I received the products mentioned in exchange for an honest review on my blog. The opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. This post contains affiliate links.

The scenario in the video above is painfully true for too many people. In February 2006, a man in a large commercial van filled with heavy tools looked for a CD on the floor of the vehicle as he drove down a local highway at 55 miles per hour. As he took his eyes off the road "for just a second," the driver didn't notice the line of cars stopped ahead of him. In a split second, the distracted driver totaled the car in front of him and pushed it into another vehicle. The person in the totaled car was my husband. 

My husband is good at paying attention to his surroundings. He saw the van coming toward him and, anticipating the collision, positioned the car in a manner that would cause the least impact. That split second decision saved his life. The accident, however, left him permanently disabled.

The force of the impact threw the driver-side seat off the tracks and broke it

The damage to the work van was minimal

There is no question that I'm a big promoter of distraction-free driving. When I drive, I leave my cell phone in my purse and ignore it if it chimes or rings. I don't even use a headset when I drive to talk on the phone because getting it to answer calls and such is too distracting. Fortunately, I learned this lesson while walking. AAA found that I'm not the only one who is distracted by convenience features meant to help drivers keep their eyes on the road. Researchers call these "cognitive distractions," as they focus your mind away from the task of driving even though your eyes are on the road and hands are on the wheel.

This short clip explains more about cognitive distractions:

Watch the full video here.

Have Everything  Accessible

When I drive, I like to have everything I need readily accessible. While my husband and I do not talk on our cell phones or text while driving, I was interested in trying the cell phone vent mount holder from Dash Mate, sold by CJ's Savings. The mount clips into a vent in your car and holds it in place, eliminating the need to use a suction cup device on your windshield.

I like the ideas of a vent mount because you should never have anything in your line of sight (on your windshield) as you drive. Plus, I don't trust suction cups. I was skeptical about the mount at first because I have a big phone. The arms on the mount stretched and accommodated its size perfectly. I later read that the mount will even hold Samsung Galaxy Not phablets (phone/tablets). I also thought that the mount would cause the vent to move around because of its weight, but it did not.

We use the phone mount for the music app on the phone. When there's a song that we don't like, the it's simple to push the thumb-down button at a stop light. It's also nice when we need to look at a map. We find the map before heading out and put the phone in the mount. Thanks to the mount, it's easier to hear the turn-by-turn directions. If the driver needs to get a better look at the map while driving, we simply pull-over.

No one ever regrets driving safely. Make distraction-free driving part of your routine today. 

I received the products mentioned in exchange for an unbiased review on my blog. This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I receive a small commission if you click on an Amazon.com link and make a purchase.