Have you ever worked out how much time you spend driving to and from work? Multiply your daily journey by five days a week, for 45 to 50 weeks a year, and it soon adds up.
Therefore, it is no surprise if you try to make the most of this time in the car. The problem is you are in charge of a vehicle that could kill or seriously injure people, including yourself. Driving a car requires your full attention, and the more you fill that time, the more dangerous it can make it.
Here are three things people do to maximize their commuting time that they probably shouldn’t:
1. Having breakfast
As the mornings grow colder, there is a lot to like about having a warming cup of coffee in your hand as you drive. Combine it with a bagel, croissant or piece of fruit, and you can arrive at the office fuelled up for the day ahead.
The trouble is that eating and drinking is not a hands-free affair and removing a hand from the wheel makes you less able to react in an emergency.
2. Learning something new
Maybe you are listening to a podcast to understand how the rise in interest rates will affect you. Or perhaps you are practicing the future subjunctive as part of your intermediate French course. Learning is fantastic, but doing so while driving is not helping you to focus on the road.
3. Getting dressed
Whether knotting your tie with one hand or applying lipstick in the rearview mirror, you are distracting yourself both physically and mentally. This can easily turn into a wreck.
If a driver injures you during the morning commute, get legal help to determine if they were focusing on the road or on something else.
