Distracted Driving

I wanted to share a situation I got myself into today to show that distracted driving is not just an issue that rookies face. Today I was talking to another driver on the phone and got myself in a bit of a predicament. I always run GPS even though I know where I'm going most of the time for traffic information. I lost focus and turned down the road just before the one I actually needed to come upon the road being closed.

I came off US 71 and hooked the first right towards the Quarry rather than going to 87th to deliver flowers to where the pin is. After I turned down there GPS told me just continue south until I made my way back to US 71 then try again (lol). It turns out at the Rock Quarry the roads closed. Being labor day it was padlocked shut so turning in and turning around wasn't an option. I had 2 choices. Back up a little over half a mile or attempt a U-turn on this 2 lane road with no shoulder (atleast til back towards main road). I opted to back up and do a small S to ensure nobody was behind me while still going relatively straight. Meanwhile there's truck traffic on US 71 and multiple drivers are quoting bonehead Truckers so maybe I'll end up on that?? Anyways, I tuned them out and backed the .6 miles back to the main road and thankfully there was no traffic but I also had a turn lane I had to myself. So I backed down Hickman then backed onto blue river using the designated turn lane while paying attention to all the traffic although there wasn't much.

Had i attempted a U-turn this would have ended very differently. I share this to show that even experienced drivers make mistakes. What matters is how you resolve the problem. This is also a reason many trainers don't want trainees using their phone while driving because it is distracting even with hands free.

Great reminder!

I like that you share your mistakes with the group. New drivers can learn a lot from hearing about other drivers' mistakes...and how to correct them.