Distracted driving has the potential to not only seriously injure or kill you or someone else, but also cause you to have an at-fault accident that affects your insurance rate. Unfortunately, distracted driving is common; more than 1,000 people are injured daily in the U.S. as a result of distracted driving accidents. Many people associate distracted driving with using a smartphone while you're behind the wheel. While it's true that texting, checking apps and other phone-related use is indeed a distraction, there are many other ways that you can get distracted and have an accident. Avoid these types of distractions when you're driving to stay out of accidents and keep your insurance rate steady.

Personal Grooming

It can be tempting to rush out the door in the morning and plan to do a little personal grooming while you're behind the wheel. Things such as putting on your makeup and even shaving are grooming practices that many people do in the car. Any form of grooming, however, is highly dangerous because it distracts you and takes your eyes off the road, making it easy for you to get into an accident that affects your insurance rate.

Eating

While you can probably manage to drive and sip from a water bottle at the same time, it's a different story altogether when you try to eat behind the wheel. At the very least, eating will involve one hand, which means that you're left with just one hand on the steering wheel — and that might not be enough to keep you under control if you have to make sudden evasive maneuvers because of another motorist. Some meals even require the use of two hands, which means that you're likely steering with your knees, which is very dangerous. Even if you buy take-out food to eat in the car, do so before you turn on your vehicle.

Dealing With Children

When you have kids in the back seat who are acting up, it's easy to be constantly glancing in your rear-view mirror or even turning around in your seat to talk to them or check on what they're doing. A distraction of this nature can cause you to lose focus on the road, which can easily result in you being in an accident. If you're driving with your spouse, have him or her deal with your kids while you drive. If you're alone and the children are misbehaving, pull over into a safe area and deal with the problem.

For more insurance tips, reach out to a company like House-Chilson & Associates.