DRIVING SOLUTIONS SAYS: Defensive Driving Key #1. Pay Attention and Focus On the Task of Driving. Yes, this one seems the most obvious! But how often have you been on your cell phone while driving? Or fiddled with a handbag, papers, a map, or kept digging for something in your pockets? Splitting your attention from the process of driving immediately puts your driving on auto pilot.
You are no longer consciously involved in operating your two ton box of metal - you find you can't remember what you saw, or that you changed lanes a km back. Most importantly, your response rate is reduced and impaired. You cannot react quickly to new stimuli because your conscious brain is not involved in the active reception of such information.
So how can you increase your ability to pay active attention while driving? Never use your cell phone illegally - in some Companies, it is policy that drivers are not allowed to use a mobile phone at all. Try not to daydream, and if someone else is in the car with you, do not look at them while talking - keep your eyes and attention on the road. Averting your eyes, for even two seconds, while talking to a passenger, could put both your lives in serious danger.
Also form good driving habits. For instance, if you're making a trip to a new destination, get familiar with your map or directions before getting into your car. Make sure that you can recall most of them from memory so that you are not forced to finger through, or constantly look at your papers while driving. In addition, pace yourself - if you're hungry, stop and eat at the restaurant. Don't drive through and eat while driving. If you're tired, pull over and rest. Don't gamble your life and another's just because you're in a hurry or you believe you won't fall asleep. Driving is hypnotic - eventually you will fall asleep if you are not well rested.
