There are three main types of distracted driving. Cognitive distractions divert your focus away from driving. Visual distractions cause your eyes to leave the road. Manual distractions make you take your hands off the wheel.

You can reduce your risk behind the wheel by avoiding all of these distractions while driving.

Put your phone out of reach

Phones can be a great source of help and entertainment in our daily lives, but they are a horrible cause of distraction while driving. Only use your phone in emergencies. To avoid temptation, put your phone in the back seat or elsewhere out of reach so that you must pull over and park before accessing it.

Avoid eating while driving

Consume your snacks before you start driving. When you take your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel, your attention is not focused where it should be.

Use your passengers

Having too many passengers in your vehicle can be a distraction. When you have passengers, put them to work doing tasks that would break your focus if you did them yourself. Have passengers navigate for you or control the radio or temperature settings.

Make sure kids and pets are secure

If you have children or animals in your vehicle, make sure they are properly restrained. Car seats and booster seats keep your child safe, but they also prevent your child from touching you unexpectedly while you drive.

When you have fewer distractions, your attention will focus on the road. When focused on the road, you can practice defensive driving to avoid hazards and keep a safe distance from other vehicles.