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Passengers’ Annoying Habits Can Turn into Dangerous Distractions for Drivers

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Since April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, there has been a lot of awareness, ahem, brought to dangerous distracted driving habits like using a cellphone when driving, eating or drinking while behind the wheel, interacting with children in the back seat, applying makeup, and messing with GPS controls.

We all know and understand that these habits pose a risk while driving—any behavior that takes our attention as drivers from the road is dangerous—but, sometimes we forget that dangerous distractions can sometimes stem from the annoying habits of our driving companions.

And, in the sake of safety, it is high time for drivers to call out passengers on their long list of irritating habits, including these top behaviors according to DefensiveDriving.com.

  • Passengers, whether you are in the front or back, need to refrain from backseat driving; if you despise how the driver is driving then next time you should opt for a different mode of transportation.
  • Snacking should be saved for non-drive time.
  • If James Corden is not the driver, the volume of all singing should be scaled back.
  • The driver controls the music selection and the temperature control. Always.
  • Feet should stay in shoes. Always.
  • The driver gets the armrest. Always.
  • All trash needs to be removed upon exiting the vehicle.
  • Unless the driver wants to be left alone, don’t ignore him, which means your call can wait and that book gets closed, and remember it’s a two-way conversation; the passenger seat does not equal a soapbox.
  • Unless it’s a special situation—it’s been a long road trip and it’s your turn to sleep or you’re not feeling well—nodding off can make the driver feel like an unpaid and unappreciated chauffeur.

Driving is already a stressful activity. Passengers—please, don’t add to it with bad or distracting behavior.

News Source: DefensiveDriving.com