BY SOLO INSURANCE®    Oct 2022, Updated Sept 2025

You can obviously tell that person ahead of you is driving distracted…how annoying! But could you be that person sometimes?  Any near misses lately? How to tell if you’re one of the distracted drivers without even realizing it.  In the last couple decades, auto insurance claims from distracted driving accidents increased significantly. Even back in 2023, 3,275 people died and another 324,819 were injured in distraction-related crashes (Distracted Driving in 2023, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-NHTSA). Take a moment to read through this so you’re not one of these statistics.

What is a distracted driving accident? Any wreck involving a driver found not paying attention to the road is distracted. While mobile devices are big contributors, they’re only one part of the problem. Often discounted, many other distractions also take the driver’s attention from their job of safe driving. For instance, simply changing the playlist or podcast distracts.  As a driver, it’s your responsibility to monitor your own habits. It’s your job to make sure you’re driving focused on what’s happening around you.

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3 Signs that You’re a Distracted Driver and Don’t Realize It

You’re a good driver; okay, many people are. Could you be better? Who couldn’t? As a refresher, please keep in mind these three common distractions to stay focused.

• You Don’t Remember Where You Have Just Driven 

Have you ever driven through a stop light only to realize you hoped it was green? Driving involves a lot of muscle memory. When you drive the same routes regularly, you are likely to form a habit of doing so. While your brain helps you remember what route to take, you might not actively register going through an intersection, stopping at a stop sign, or following the speed limit. Not actively paying attention means that you’re driving distractedly. You might simply be lost in thought, but it’s still a diversion from the road ahead of you. This distraction might occur in an instant, but in that brief time, you might have driven into a very dangerous situation.

• You Actively Engage in Conversation 

It’s perfectly fine to have conversations with others in the car. However, the road must be your primary focus, and the conversation secondary. That’s why you should avoid having intense conversations, arguments, or debates while in the car. I had a driving test where instructor yelled at me. He yelled “LOOK AT ME!” So, I did. He failed me on the spot for not paying attention when I was backing up.

Whether fun or angry, these things can wait until you get where you are going. We all carry on conversations while driving, and they do distract, but intensity puts you at greater risk of getting into an accident.

• You Complete Manual Activities While Driving 

Many other activities, besides cell phone use, lead to distracted driving. Some people apply makeup, eat, reach for sunglasses, drink out of large containers, or do other activities while driving. Each activity distracts. Keep in mind, even if you check your phone while stopped at a stoplight, it’s still a distraction (ever been honked at after the light turns green?). A person or animal could walk in front of you at the last minute and you might not see till too late. Have you ever dropped something and reached down to get it? Who hasn’t? #DistractedDriver

Recap

Can you think of a time when you almost hit the car in front of you? Sometimes it’s not just because they slammed on the brakes.  To recap, all these actions plus many more distract. If you have an accident, then the fault could lie with you. Often, distracted drivers cause at-fault car wrecks which result in auto insurance claims. Car insurance claims cause rates to increase as safe driving discounts are lost. If it’s continued, sometimes your vehicle insurer will even cancel the coverage at renewal. Why? Because too many claims mean too high of a risk to insure. Rather than risking distracted driving, it’s better to do what you can to avoid the danger. Cars are heavy and expensive, best to take them seriously.

If you do run into a bump in the road with your driving record, or simply want a second opinion on your current auto insurance rates, contact the trusted agents at the trademarked Solo Insurance®  Helping people over 30 years with their car insurance.  —  800.207.SOLO [7656]  — GET A QUOTE

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