Distracted driving is a big contributor to teenage traffic accident statistics but another group of drivers who are almost continually facing numerous distractions are moms.
The kids might be yelling or fighting with each other in the back seat, the radio is on and the smartphone might be bleeping with another message, all of which can create a whole raft of distractions for moms on the road.
Child on board
No responsible parent would ever dream of deliberately putting their child at risk if they could help it but the research shows that if you are a mom and driving your car with children on board, you might spend up to a third of your driving time facing distractions.
Multi-tasking is seen as the norm in our fast-paced world we now live in and it is almost ingrained into our culture to consider driving and doing a host of other things at the same time, as something we just have to cope with.
There are thousands of crashes occurring every day on our roads and if you have a child on board, your odds of being distracted and maybe having an accident are higher.
The major cause of injury-related death for Canadian children is likely to be a car accident according to a CPHA report, so the need to avoid distractions and concentrate on your driving is pretty clear.
Slow down or pull over
We all know how children can be quite demanding at any age and if you are facing calls for attention, supplies or assistance from your kids in the car, it can be tempting to try and pass them the food or drink they want or respond to their crying by driving faster.
Well over half of moms who were asked about their driving habits and performance by Parents magazine, admitted to driving above the speed limit in order to get to their destination quicker, if their kids were crying or they had to stop and needed to make up lost time.
Adding speed to the equation is clearly not a good strategy amongst the distractions, so think about pulling over to sort out your kids needs and it is better to arrive late than not at all, so think about your speed and slow down.
Avoid checking your phone
Busy moms often rely on their smartphone to keep on top of appointments and social engagements as well as work commitments, but far too many of drivers, including moms, talk on the phone or check emails, while they have their kids on board.
Texting or emailing while driving increases your odds of having a crash by about eight times, compared to if you kept the phone away from your attention when you are behind the wheel.
No matter how good your multitasking skills are perceived to be, remember that driving itself is a multitasking skill and adding the use of your phone to the list of distractions, is simply dangerous and it could mean you miss as much as half of all the visual information around you on the road, such as brake lights and stop signs.
You might want to look for a car that offers in-built safety features such as the Dodge Dart for example, which offers you the facility of making and receiving hands-free calls using Uconnect Voice Command and Bluetooth, so it is easier to keep your hands on the wheel and stay safer.
There are plenty of driving distractions if you are a mom who is taking a journey with kids on board, so be aware of the need to concentrate on the road ahead if you want to try and stay a safe as possible.