You already know that drinking and driving can be deadly. Now, evidence shows that daydreaming and driving is also a danger. People who let their minds wander behind the wheel are more likely to be in car accidents than their focused peers, according to a new study published in British Medical Journal.
French researchers interviewed 955 drivers who’d recently been injured in a motor vehicle crash. More than half of the drivers reported experiencing mind wandering before the accident, and 13 percent said their thoughts were “intense,” or highly disruptive/distracting. Most significantly, 17 percent of the drivers found to be responsible for their accidents also reported intense mind wandering just before impact.
When your mind wanders, you pay less attention to things you see and hear, and focus instead on internal thoughts, says Cédric Galéra, M.D., lead study author and psychiatrist at the Charles Perrens Hospital, University of Bordeaux in France. “Since your mind is turned towards yourself, [mind wandering] makes the driver prone to overlook hazards and make more errors independent of other distractions,” he says.
While a meandering mind is totally normal, it’s more likely to happen when you rest or do repetitive tasks that require little brainpower, like brushing your teeth or—you guessed it—driving. Moreover, certain moods make your mind even more apt to drift—like when you’re too tired or mellow, or too anxious or excited, says Joseph Cardillo, Ph.D., author of Can I Have Your Attention? How to Think Fast, Find Your Focus and Sharpen Your Concentration.
And here’s the thing: Distracting thoughts aren’t the only causes of dangerous driving. In fact, researchers have found that any time you take your eyes off the road or remove your hands from the wheel, you’re upping your risk for an accident. With all that in mind, here are 9 ways to get from point A to point B safely:
Define your mood, then adjust it
Before your foot hits the gas, complete the statement “I feel [blank].” Then, determine whether you need to calm down or step it up to reach the optimal driving mindset: a balance between calm and alert.
Make a game plan
Can’t stop thinking about a fight with your boyfriend, or what to wear when meeting his parents? Take control of your emotions with a plan that includes where, when, and why you will focus on your thoughts in the future. For instance: “When I get home in 45 minutes, I’m going to call my friend Lisa to vent, because she gives good advice and perspective.” Or, “When I get to the mall in twenty minutes, I’ll go straight to the department store, because they always stock the largest selection of perfect meet-the-parents dresses.” This proactive step will help you get the issue off your mind more easily, so you can concentrate on driving, says Cardillo.
Listen to music to decompress
“Music can adjust a mood that’s counterproductive to focused driving,” says Cardillo. Before you hop in the car for your holiday travel, queue up a playlist on your iPod. The rules: Songs should have fewer than 100 beats per minute (search on iTunes or Google any song name + BPM), contain inspiring lyrics, or remind you of a positive memory. Then, press play anytime you need to calm down.
Increase alertness with an upbeat song
When you’re making that first playlist, get to work on a second. This one is for jazzing you up when you’re feeling lethargic. Listening to a song with 100 to 175 beats per minute will increase your alertness, says Cardillo.
Open the windows to wake you up
It’s easy for your thoughts to veer off course during a long car ride—especially when you’re snuggled up in a comfy coat while a seat warmer toasts your buns, and the heat blows on high. But if it sounds too cozy, it probably is. Prevent dosing off by cracking a window. Like a cold shower, a cold blast of air can zap open drooping eyelids, fast. No luck? Find a well-lit parking lot, and pull over. Then lock the doors, and set your phone alarm to wake you up in 15 minutes before you close your eyes.
Leave your phone in your bag
Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves, according to data from the Accident Research Centre at Monash University. If your phone is out of reach, you won’t be tempted to use it. And if you do have to make a call? Pull over. A 2009 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study found that using a headset isn’t substantially safer than using a hand-held device.
Make your passenger your secretary
Text messaging while you drive makes you 23 times more likely to have an accident, compared to driving while not distracted, according to the 2009 VTTI study. If you simply must send a message, dictate it text to the person in the passenger seat, and he or she can text it for you.
Program your GPS before you put the car in drive
On the spectrum of driving distractions, text messaging is the worst offender. However, second to texting is fiddling with your GPS, according to a 2012 National Highway Traffic Safety study. That’s because destination entry takes longer than calling an existing phone contact, dialing a new 10-digit number, or adjusting the radio. Meaning: your eyes are off the road for way too long to drive safely.
Keep food away from the front seat
Any non-driving activity (i.e., chewing) takes your mind off your primary task: driving safely. According to Distraction.gov (yes, there is a website for distracted driving) eating while you drive can increase your risk of crashing…not to mention choking. Starving? Stop for a snack at the next restaurant, convenience store, or gas station (find the best and worst food options here), and eat it before you hit the road.
More from WH:
More Ways to Prevent Car Accidents
The Best Ways to Stay Focused
Sharpen Your Mind
Look Better Naked: Buy the book to learn how to look (and feel!) your very best.
