Nowadays, there are countless distractions in the world that we are living in. All of the text messages, alerts, and applications buzz and beep grabbing our focus and attention. With that said we all know its difficult to cut distractions from our commute. That’s why you need to keep yourself from driving distracted.

The sad truth is that over 3,000 people were killed to date in distracted driving-related incidents, which amounts to nearly 10 people dying per day in the USA alone. What’s even worse is that this a preventable problem – if we were just more focused and removed the potential distractions, this number could be so much lower.

So here are our nine tips to keep yourself from driving distracted

1. Stop using your phone even on a hands-free setting

Using your phone in any way while driving isn’t safe. Studies show that using your phone, in any way, reduces your field of vision and your ability to process moving objects. If you really need to make a call, find a safe area to pull over first.

2. Shut off your phone* or put it away

Shut off your smartphone before you start driving. At the very least, put your phone on silent mode or on airplane mode. You’ll avoid all distractions from any notifications in this way. You can set automatic responses to let people know that you are driving. Your everyday social media notifications or text messages are not worth a potential accident or even your life.

3. Keep important items within reach

Place all of your important items (wallet, sunglasses, purse) within close reach. You’ll be more focused on the road, just by knowing you don’t have to dig for these items when you need them.

4. Pull over when you’re eating

Did you know that your chances of making an accident are increased by 80% when you are eating and driving? No, right? Pull over or stop at a rest area to have your snack or eat in the drive-thru parking lot. You’ll reduce the risk of an accident and as a added plus there’s less chance of staining your clothes or spilling your drink.

5. Be mindful of your emotional state

Deal with your emotions before getting behind the wheel. Your emotions, either  happiness or sadness, can be very distracting. Just try to bring your focus on driving and don’t think it too much, because that can increase your chances of an accident as well.

6. Turn down your music

We know, we know when your favorite song comes on you just can’t wait to crank the volume up, but our advice is to keep the volume down enough for you to be aware of your surroundings. Loud music will lower your focus on the road and you might miss warning signs of an accident, like screeching brakes or sirens of an ambulance trying to get by.

7. Rest regularly

You should never push yourself if you are exhausted. Driving tired increases your chances of a crash and slows down your reflexes. The best thing you can do is to make a stop at a rest stop or parking lot and take a quick nap.

8. Program your route before you leave

Always set your GPS to your destination before starting to drive. Adjust the position of your GPS device where you could easily see it without taking your eyes off the road. This way you have a safer ride to your designated destination.

9. Get ready at home

Avoid fixing your hair or doing makeup on your commute as these are risky thing to do while driving. Keep the road safe and do your personal care routine at home.

Know that over 16% of the 392,000 injuries are from accidents caused by distracted drivers. Pay more attention to the road by creating a safer driving experience for yourself, as well as other drivers.