How To Safely Track Mileage for Work

If you’re planning to take a mileage deduction, tracking mileage for work must become a part of your routine. It’s easy to fall into the trap of jotting something down while in traffic or quickly tapping out your mileage on your cell phone before you forget. It seems harmless enough, right? However, commercials, radio ads, billboards on the freeway and real life experience remind us that distracted driving can lead to life-altering events.

Despite the growing awareness about distracted driving, the most recent statistics available from the National Safety Council show there hasn’t been much improvement. In fact, accidents as a result of talking or texting while driving have steadily increased, now accounting for 26% of the nation’s car accidents.

Distracted Driving Facts:

• 1 out of every 4 accidents happens as a result of cell phone use
• Calling or texting while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes per year
• 330,000 injuries occurred due to texting while driving
• Taking your eyes from the road for just 5 seconds while traveling at 55 mph takes you the length of a football field.

The National Safety Council also notes that hands-free devices and methods can still inhibit driving ability since cognition is still required to use them in the car. Findings show technology like voice-to-text offers no considerable safety advantage.

We’re all aware of some of the facts above and yet, we’re all too human. As such, research shows we can only keep around four items in our working memory at any given time. With directions, children’s pick-up schedules, mental to-do lists, and remembering the name of the song and artist you just heard on the radio, your memory might quickly forget something like tracking mileage for work.

The key is to find a way to travel and track safely. Fortunately, there is a way.