Laws and education can probably help with visual distractions like texting, eating, etc. but, what about cognitive distractions. How can we teach people not to take their mind off of driving. How many times have you driven somewhere and for a short period of time had no memory of what area you just drove through. If you have never done that, good for you. But, I've done it and I consider myself a very safe driver. I've had no accidents in a car ever in 50 years of driving and only three traffic violations. But, I have had some near misses that were my fault mostly because I had my mind on something else. How do we fix that?
DW
How do we fix that? I suggest that the only person we have any hope of fixing is our self when we are behind the wheel/bars. THAT is the fix which keeps us from doing something dangerous and keeps us alert to others who show signs of doing something dangerous. I try to remind myself that riding/driving is a task which requires all my concentration (mirror checks, following distance, surface checks, animal checks, vehicles turning or not stopping when they should, etc.) You can't zone out on the bike or the car when you have the controls. If you are not looking for/anticipating multiple likely hazards which COULD materialize, you are not riding/driving safely.
Like you, I have done exactly that. On a familiar road I HAVE thought, did I already go through that little town? (I may have been driving safely, but my brain was not fully engaged in the process. Not good.) I once ran a red light when I had a car full of musicians heading to a rehearsal. Clearly the discussion happening at the time took precedence over the act of driving us to that rehearsal safely. Scary, though no accident or ticket which I richly deserved.
Another carpool of musicians, the younger woman driving was somehow juggling a soft drink, a cell phone, and a standard transmission. Scared the s##t out of me, but we made it. Bad driving in both my case and hers - with no alcohol or drug involvement.
Several times a year I am one of the musicians transported to a symphony gig in a regular bus. Despite the lack of seat belts, I am relaxed, partly because I know the driver is well-trained and I'm pretty sure he is sober. Maybe more important, THIS IS HIS JOB. Not a way to get from point A to B while being entertained by the radio, GPS, etc. He is responsible for (and being paid for) getting those folk to their destination safely. Perhaps we should all think of our driving/riding more along this line - especially if the bus driver likes his job.