How can you reduce the chance a distracted driver injures you?

Doing your best to avoid getting distracted while driving can make you a much safer driver. But it won’t change the fact that the roads will still be full of others who are distracted.

So what can you do to try and reduce the chance one of them injures you?

Look out for their distracting behaviors

You can often see tell-tale signs that another driver is not giving the road their full attention:

• It might be that they have their windows down and you can hear them conversing on the phone (hands-free or not).
• It might be that you can see their head moving as they appear to be searching for something or turning to talk to someone else in the car.
• It might be you see them pull out from a drive-through – which suggests they have food or drink they will consume while moving.
• Or it might be you can see them staring intently at the road signs to work out where to turn off.

Whatever it is, you need to clock such warning signs and realize the danger the driver could pose to you. When you notice someone is distracted, try to create some distance between your vehicles. That might be pulling ahead or it might be dropping back but the further you are from them, the less likely any mistake they make due to distraction affects you.

Of course, you can’t be expected to notice everything other drivers are doing. Despite doing your best to stay safe there may come a situation where you need to learn how to claim compensation.