When driving in New York, you may encounter multiple distractions along the way. Creating an even bigger hazard is neglecting to plan your travels to give yourself enough time to address unexpected distractions.
The concept of a safe driving plan can encourage you to plan ahead to reduce your risk of getting in a car accident. Additionally, having a plan in place may increase the enjoyment of driving because you do not have to manage too many tasks at once.
Eliminating all distractions
You can prevent many of the distractions you face while driving with a bit of forethought. According to Nationwide, a safe driving plan involves coordinating other essential activities outside of drive times. For example, if you commute to and from work each day, schedule meal times and phone calls around your drive. Additionally, before you start driving, find the station you want to listen to, adjust your controls, check your mirrors and make sure your windows have fully defrosted.
Protecting your well-being
Having a safe driving plan in place allows you to have the use of both of your hands, as well as your eyes and ears to recognize road hazards. Timely recognition of other vehicles, animals in the road, inclement surface conditions, construction and traffic signals gives you ample time to respond with precision and confidence. This kind of driving, also called defensive driving, reduces your risk of getting into a car accident. Driving defensively may also protect you from serious injury if you do get in a car accident because you had the awareness to react and was not distracted by something else.