Distracted Driving Habits

While I would consider myself a very confident and safe driver, upon reflection, I realize that I do have several “distracted driving” habits that hinder my ability to perform at my best behind the wheel. The most obvious temptation is my phone. While all of the cars I drive do have Apple CarPlay, each has its own specific flaws that lead to higher-risk driving behaviors. In many ways, having technology integrated into the dashboard creates a false sense of security, making it easy to forget that any digital interaction while moving is a real danger.
For example, my family’s oldest car is a 2006 Saab 95 (which is actually as old as I am!). We chose to manually install an aftermarket CarPlay screen to help with GPS navigation and to allow for playing music without a jack cable, especially since most modern iPhones do not even have the input for them anymore. However, we soon realized the car’s steering wheel button controls did not hook up to the CarPlay add-on. If you want to skip a song, you cannot simply press a convenient button near your hand; you either have to reach up and over the steering wheel or risk taking a few seconds to look away from the road, stare at your phone screen, and press skip manually.
To make matters worse, the physical setup itself quickly became a constant secondary distraction. Over time, the mechanism that connected the CarPlay box to the suction cup on the windshield began to loosen from heat, sun exposure, and age. As you drove, the box would suddenly swing to face the passenger seat without warning. If you needed the navigation, you would again have to reach over the steering wheel to manually correct the direction it was facing while attempting to maintain your lane.
Another car we have is much newer, but my phone doesn’t always connect to the CarPlay system right away. Because I really enjoy listening to music while I drive, I’ve noticed several times that I don’t wait until my phone connects before pulling out of the driveway. Instead, I try to fight with the Bluetooth or cord settings and get it to connect to the car while I am actively beginning to drive down the street. This is obviously extremely dangerous, as all of my attention should be focused entirely on the road ahead to look out for other cars, cyclists, and pedestrians in the neighborhood.
From now on, I am going to be much more cautious and intentional before I even turn the key in the ignition. A better, safer solution is to make a song queue or set up a dedicated playlist before beginning the drive, wait until the car is fully stopped at a red light to make any unavoidable changes, or even pull over safely to the side of the road if adjustments are necessary. I am committing to connecting my phone completely first, verifying the route on the screen, and only then beginning to drive.
Beyond tech, there are other bad driving habits that I occasionally succumb to when behind the wheel. These include getting impatient and yelling at drivers who frustrate me, playing music incredibly loud when a great song comes on or when I’m in a very exuberant mood, and constantly driving a few miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Ways to correct these habits are simple on paper, but require conscious effort every single day: reminding myself that yelling at other drivers won’t solve the problem, still playing music but keeping it at a volume that doesn’t drown out the important noises of surrounding traffic, and strictly staying within the speed limit for my own safety and the safety of everyone sharing the road.
Finally, I am the trusted driver in my friend group, and I drive extra carefully when anyone is in the car with me because I feel personally responsible for their lives. However, I tend to be more relaxed and “reckless” when I drive completely alone. I must realize that my own safety matters just as much as my friends’ safety. I have to be cautious and confident—but not overly so—at all times when I drive, not just when I have an audience sitting in the passenger seat. Moving forward, I plan to be much more conscientious, practice continuous self-awareness behind the wheel, and work daily to deconstruct these harmful habits permanently, as I am in charge of my safety and the safety of the drivers around me.