The risks inherent in signal-less turning are obvious; accidents happen all the time because someone slows suddenly and veers across an intersection without indicating his intentions to the drivers around him, or because someone changes lanes abruptly and forces all the cars behind her to screech to a halt in attempts to avoid a collision. A lifesaving practice that’s much simpler than tying your shoes shouldn’t be optional and certainly isn’t “exciting”—so have your left hand at the ready whenever you’re not planning to go straight for the next hundred miles.
Culinary Caution
If you’ve ever tried to guide your dinner directly into your mouth without looking down at the food, you know how difficult it is to eat that way. Now add variables such as scalding liquids and non-spillproof containers and envision that same scenario taking place as you operate a moving vehicle, and you’re looking at a recipe for disaster.
Hagerty Classic Insurance researched the ten foods that are most likely to impede drivers’ concentration and performance, and discovered that hot coffee tops the list for its potential to spill at the slightest provocation, especially when a car passes over a bump in the road. Furthermore, if the liquid burns the driver, he’s likely to release the steering wheel and lose control of the vehicle. Other offenders include jelly donuts (huge splatter potential), hamburgers, and other fried foods (when your hands are covered with grease from McDonald’s, it’s not exactly easy to grip the wheel if you have to make a sharp turn). Drive-throughs may be quick and convenient, but when your safety is on the line, isn’t it worth it to get out of the car for ten minutes and eat inside the restaurant?
Drivers’ Ed
In 2003, CNN released the results of a nationwide poll of 1,100 licensed drivers, ages sixteen and up, about driving safety. More than 90 percent of the respondents confessed to having engaged in risky driving behavior—largely cell phone use, eating, and speeding—in the past six months, and 67 percent said they believed people today drive more dangerously than they did in the past. Yet the very people who acknowledged feeling unsafe were exacerbating the situation by engaging in shockingly perilous activities: 30 percent of drivers polled said they ran red or yellow lights, and 14 percent said they read while driving. Is your book really more valuable than human life? The next time you head out in your car, keep your eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel, and remember this: one tiny misstep can cause severe and irreversible damage.
