THE best way to get affordable car insurance is by maintaining a good driving record and by avoiding points on your driver's licence.
By being aware of the most common driving distractions and avoiding them, you can increase your odds of enjoying very competitive online car insurance quotes. The results of a recent survey by MoneySupermarket.com will give you a clear idea about the things that you should avoid doing in order to stay safe on the road. Look below to learn about the top ten driving distractions according to that survey.
1. Using Twitter – According to the survey, one per cent of drivers admit to sending tweets while they are on the road. That is a good way to end up in a serious car accident because it requires you to take your attention away from the road.
2. Posting to Facebook – Two per cent of respondents stated that they update their Facebook status while they are driving. To stay as safe as possible, you should not use your phone or mobile device at all while you are behind the wheel.
3. Applying cosmetics – An incredible five per cent of those who were surveyed admitted to applying cosmetics while driving. Make sure to apply your cosmetics prior to leaving to avoid accidents.
4. Falling asleep – It is important to be well-rested when driving. Five per cent confessed that they had fallen asleep while driving in the past.
5. Not wearing seatbelts – You can and will get cited for not wearing a seatbelt. In addition to that, failure to use one could result in serious injury or even death.
6. Sending text messages – A great deal of attention must be taken away from the road in order to compose a text message. Surprisingly, 16 per cent of people said that they had done so in the past. Wait until you are home to read and compose text messages.
7. Gawking at accidents – 21 per cent of drivers noted that they regularly slowed down to check out accidents on the road. This is another way to remove your attention from the road, which dramatically increases the chances of being involved in a crash.
8. Making phone calls – Yet again, the phone causes distractions for drivers. 23 per cent admitted to talking on the phone while operating their vehicles. Studies have shown that even hands-free devices are dangerous to use while you are behind the wheel. If you must make or receive a call, pull over first.
9. Consuming food or beverages – The 51 per cent of drivers who admitted to eating or drinking while driving must not realise that it is technically against the law to do so. You could be stopped and charged with driving without due care or attention because it detracts from your ability to be a safe driver.
10. Listening to music – Fiddling with MP3 players and radio controls can lead to accidents on the road. 61 percent of those who were surveyed admitted to being guilty of this.
Above all else, make sure that your attention is always firmly on the road. Doing so will help you maintain a good driving record, which will make it easier to get a competitive, free car insurance quote in the future.
