Whether it’s sending a quick text or email, dialing a friend’s number, changing the Bluetooth track or simply checking the time, there are a lot of reasons to casually check our phones throughout the day. But when we allow that habit to work its way into the driver’s seat, lives are all-too-often lost.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving kills about eight Americans every day, and injures more than a thousand in crashes that result from distracted driving.

Distractions

There are three main types of distractions that drivers face: visual (looking away from the road), manual (taking your hands off of the wheel) and cognitive (taking your mind off of the road). This is why texting and driving is such a tremendous danger – it combines all three distractions. By taking your attention off of the road for a mere five seconds while traveling at highway speeds, your vehicle is careening more than the length of a football field with no one driving.

Although by far the most common source of distractions, smartphones aren’t the only culprits. Distracted driving can also result from eating, using a navigation system, applying makeup or brushing hair, falling asleep at the wheel and many more.

Understanding the Law

In Ohio, texting while driving is strictly illegal for all drivers. Drivers younger than 18 can’t use a cell phone at all, and drivers older than 18 are permitted only to talk on the phone. Breaking these laws is considered a primary offence, meaning a police officer can pull you over for it.

Prevention

The best prevention is full attention. The first and foremost method of preventing distracted driving may seem obvious, but it’s necessary: Do not use your phone. To make it easier to stick to this method, consider turning your phone off, placing it in a compartment where it won’t distract you, leaving it in a purse or backpack in the backseat or trunk or downloading an app that prevents you from texting while driving. Other tips include not driving when sleepy, not eating, limiting passengers or activity inside the vehicle and pulling off to the side of the road if you absolutely must use your phone.

By making the conscious decision to give the road your full attention, you can help save lives and prevent accidents that result from distracted driving.