From the moment that you receive your unrestricted license it feels like you are the most experienced driver in the world capable of driving with your eyes closed! Or, at least, not focused on the road.

You don’t have to look very far to see some sort of a message telling you to pay attention while you drive. Whether it’s at a bus-stop, part of a television commercial, or even a print ad in a newspaper or magazine, keeping your eyes on the road is a message which is hard to ignore.

Tips to Help You Stay Focused While You Drive

Despite this, more and more drivers take up the habit, letting their eyes wander from the road while driving. To help you stay safe on the road and prevent becoming a distracted driver, USA Synthetics has some information on how to avoid two of the most common driving distractions.

Calls/Texts/Emails/Notifications

Without any surprise let’s start with the use of your phone while you are driving. Whether it’s to take and receive calls, read and reply to text messages, or any other type of notification which your phone displays, distractions are a-plenty. And while the obvious piece of advice is to leave your phone switched off completely and out of arm's reach, it isn’t always an appealing option. Instead, consider using your phone while you drive. That’s right! The suggestion is to use your phone to prevent you from using your phone. Consider these scenarios:

• As you drive to complete your errands you hear your phone beep to tell you that you have a new message
• You have no idea who it’s from you are entirely certain that if you don’t read and reply to the message immediately then the world will collapse.
• Instead of pulling over, you take a few seconds to wave your hand around the passenger seat to find your phone.
• Once you have it in your hand, you take your eyes off the road for ‘just a few seconds’ to read your message.
• Of course, now that you’ve read it you simply must reply, again, taking your eyes off the road for ‘just a few seconds’.

Unfortunately, ‘just a few seconds’ is ‘just enough time’ for an accident to occur, and not just a minor one! However, these instances don’t have to happen:

• As you drive to complete your errands your hear your phone beep to tell you that you have a new message
• Shortly after the beep, a loud voice emits from your phone to announce the name of the sender and the offer to hear the message read out loud.
• Without taking your eyes from the road you reply ‘Yes’
• As you drive and pay attention to the conditions around you, your message is read to you with the option to reply.
• Again, whilst maintaining focus on the road you speak a quick reply which your phone sends to the recipient.

Despite what you might think, even the most basic phones made in the past few years will be able to provide you with some level of voice activated assistance, including the commands above. Once you have finished creating your music playlists (more on this in the tip below), dive into your phone’s options and settings and look for any voice-activated services it offers. Click here to buy AMSOIL Signature Series 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil and keep your engine running at peak performance. To learn more about the benefits of a synthetic oil change in Oklahoma City, OK, speak with an expert at USA Synthetics by calling (405) 388-6170.

The Right Music for the Tip

Once you have your phone set up for voice activation, it’s time to tackle the next distraction: Music. Of course, everybody likes to listen to music while they drive so long as it's the right music. After all, you don’t want to drive to work listening to slow music which will make you want to go back to bed. Unfortunately it is these instances which can cause you serious problems. For example:

• As you get into your car and settle in you choose a song to play.
• Two or three songs later the music takes a turn and isn’t at all what you want to listen to.
• You don’t pull over to change it. Instead, you scratch around the controls of your car-radio or even slap your hand around for your phone.
• A few seconds of this and you have had enough, opting to instead glance away from the road to not only change the track but to even look through a list for better options!

As you know from the first tip, it only takes a few seconds for a serious collision to occur. One night while you are sitting on the couch and half-watching a movie with your friends or family, take out your phone and create a range of playlists, such as:

• Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! (music to help you wake up for work)
• My oasis awaits (songs to get you excited on the way home from work)
• Are we there yet? (a selection of road trip songs)
• My very own carpool karaoke (songs you enjoy singing out loud to)
  • A side tip - this playlist also works well while you are showering!

Of course, if you have any other regular errands then be sure to create a playlist with the right music for the task. With these at the ready you can easily push one button when you get into the car and not have to worry about taking your focus off the road to worry about the music.

Don’t Let a Flashing Dashboard Distract You with a Synthetic Oil Change in Oklahoma City, OK

The next time that you prepare to drive, keep this article in mind and make sure you take steps to avoid becoming a distracted driver. If it is your dashboard lights constantly flashing which is the most distracting for you, be sure to keep your car in good shape with regular fluid checks and a synthetic oil change in Oklahoma City, OK. Check out the online store or speak with USA Synthetics at (405) 388-6170 to place an order for a high-quality AMSOIL synthetic oil and keep your engine working in peak condition. ;