April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a nationwide effort to eliminate distracted driving on America’s roadways. Here are a few ways that you can make yourself a more focused driver.

1. Leave the phone off

Most generally agree that texting, Facebooking or tweeting while driving are pretty bad ideas. But you’ll find plenty of drivers who have no problem talking on the phone while driving. Research from Carnegie Melon shows that using a cell phone while driving can divert 37 percent of necessary brain activity away from driving.

2. Your car is not a dining room

Yes, we’re busy and we have places to be, but leave the food for later. Eating and drinking is a common form of distracted driving, and it you can easily avoid it. Plus, research shows that your body processes food better if you take some time to relax and enjoy a meal instead of scarfing it down in a stressed-out state.

3. Pause the conversation

Talking with a friend in the passenger seat or turning your head to look at the kids in the back diverts valuable focus away from driving. If someone wants to have a serious conversation while you’re navigating eight lanes of traffic, tell them to hold that thought and keep your eyes on the road. Kids can be hard to ignore, but tell them you need to focus on driving to avoid a car accident.

Stay present when operating a vehicle, and remember that you are responsible for lives inside and outside of its doors.

Metier Law Firm, LLC – Denver accident attorneys