Top 10 Tips to Minimize Your Distracted Driving

1. CHANGE YOUR WAYS and recognize the activities that distract you; such as eating, conversing on the phone, or changing a CD.
2. MAKE A PLAN. Get directions, study your route, check weather and road conditions. Make sure children are properly buckled up and occupied.
3. MANAGE YOUR TIME so that you do not have to multi-task or drive aggressively on the road.
4. DON’T LET YOUR DRIVE TIME BECOME YOUR DOWN TIME.
5. SCAN the roadway to make sure that you are aware of others on the road at all times. Be prepared for the unpredictability of others.
6. CONCENTRATE on your driving. Make sure that you are not upset or tired when getting on the road.
7. PULL OVER to a safe place if you need to do something that will take your eyes and/or mind off of the road.
8. REDUCE THE USE! Use GPS and other technology sensibly. Program devices before you hit the gas.
9. TAKE A REFRESHER CLASS! A driver improvement class can raise your awareness and help you assess your driving behaviors.
10. BUCKLE UP, EVERY TRIP, EVERY TIME. Making sure that everyone is properly buckled up is the best defense against distracted drivers.

Courtesy of Drive Smart Va.

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