It’s very dangerous to be distracted by passengers. Lack of attention while driving is undoubtedly a common cause of accidents. But there are ways to minimise these distractions.
1. Arguments
Don’t drive angry or upset. If you’re having a tense conversation or argument, take a few minutes to calm your nerves and finish your conversation before you start driving. Or take a few deep breaths and agree to park the conversation until you arrive. If your disagreement begins when you are driving, consider pulling over. You’ll only make the situation more harmful by trying to drive and it may cause an accident – which will clearly make things worse!
2. Children
Children bicker, fight, yell and scream in the car. Because they don’t have emotional maturity, children can be upset when they are tired, hungry or irked by siblings and trips in the car can bring all of this to the fore. Remain calm and remember you are the adult in charge. There are strategies to deal with fighting children. Firstly, can you pull over safely? If yes, perhaps having the children change seats might provide a break in the fighting. If for some reason you can’t pull over, try distraction by turning on the radio, pointing out something outside the car, or suggesting a game. An emergency bag of lollies in the glovebox may also help for times like these.
3. Rowdy friends
You’re the designated driver, and your friends are being noisy and rowdy. Set down some ground rules before you start to drive, such as, the driver has control of the music or there is no smoking in the car. You’re in the driving seat, so make sure you take control of the situation if your passengers are misbehaving – it’s your job to get your friends home safely, so take any distractions seriously to avoid accidents.
4. Pets
We love our furry friends, and a proper safe pet harness, suitable for the size of your pet and fitted to your car, is the best way to protect yourself as the driver as well as your pets. Prevent any distractions or accidents caused by animals moving around the car by buckling your pets in before you head off.
If you’ve had an accident caused by a distraction from a passenger and you’re not at fault, you may need a replacement car. Courtesy cars are useful when you need to get back on the road quickly. Contact the Not My Fault team to organise an accident replacement car. Accidents happen, and it’s important to ensure you limit the impact using a convenient car replacement service. Not My Fault can help, call us directly on 1800 699 034.
