Driving itself requires all of your attention as there is so much to think about. Although it becomes easier to remember things and do them naturally without much thought, there are still distractions while driving that can affect your concentration. Music, passengers, scenery can all cause your attention to be taken away from driving, no matter how experienced a driver you are.
While learning, it is taught not to look down at the gearstick as this can cause accidents because you could be missing a danger on the road. In the same way, looking away from the road at your phone or into the back seat at a passenger can create dangerous consequences. It is important to never use your phone whilst driving. The few seconds that you are looking away may seem small but a lot can change on the road in that time. If the car in front has to do an emergency stop or just comes to a stop in general (for traffic or lights) this may go unnoticed if your eyes are not forward and you don’t know that you need to stop.
Having music on loud may mean you cannot hear what is going on around you, some people may not be able to concentrate on the music and driving. Changing the radio station or adjusting the volume whilst the car is moving can cause the car to swerve. None of these things are as important as staying safe. Always make sure you are concentrating and that your mind is on the road and not on changing the song.
It is a good idea to plan your route before making a journey so that reading a map or looking for directions will not take your attention away from driving. You may lose direction and panic but worse, may cause an accident due to not looking at the road. Satellite navigation systems are useful for this as they can go up on the windscreen so are in your view if you need to take a quick glance but they also read directions aloud, meaning your focus can be on the driving. Having a passenger read directions out to you can also help avoid you getting distracted.