Boredom, the open road and the risk of distraction

One potential problem people face when they spend a lot of time in the car is simple: They get bored. The beginning of a road trip is fun, with the excitement of getting underway. The end is fun, when you arrive at your destination. But those 10 hours in the middle, as you drive through land that all looks the same? That’s when you feel bored.

As such, people often seek out distractions. They turn up the music. They talk to passengers. And, far too often, they eat.

It’s a very common reaction to boredom. Health experts have warned against it forever. Eating while you’re bored just gives you a lot of extra calories that you don’t need, and doing it while you’re in the car means you’re not active and burning those calories off.

But there’s another side to this, as well. Seeking distractions — like eating or talking on the phone — may be a natural reaction to boredom, but it’s the last thing you want to do in the car. You need to stay focused on the road. Those distractions can cause you to leave your lane, make crucial mistakes, and react more slowly to what happens around you on the road. And all of that can lead to some very serious accidents.

Even if you commit to avoiding distractions like food, music and phones, you cannot guarantee that everyone else is going to do the same. You may get involved in an accident with a distracted driver, and that’s when you may want to look into the legal steps you’ll need to take to seek out financial compensation.