Every year, the number of vehicles on the road increases, and so does the number of driving mistakes. According to the National Safety Council’s recent report, there are over 36,000 road traffic crashes every single day across the country.
While it’s true that you can’t avoid or eliminate all risks on the road, remember that you have the power to control your own driving mistakes. You may not be able to stop other bad drivers or prevent all accidents, but you can certainly influence how you drive and behave on the road each day.
If you want to be a better and safer driver, these are the things you should be doing.
Driving Under The Influence
Driving when you have been drinking or taking drugs is a sure-free way to increase your risk of making driving mistakes or being in an accident. Your judgment is impaired once there is a certain level of alcohol or drugs in your blood, and this can lead to you making more reckless choices, including driving home from the bar instead of walking or taking a cab.
Operating a car with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher is illegal and, at best, can land you with a fine and, at worst, results in the death of others and the destruction of property. If you are caught driving while intoxicated, you can talk to a DWI lawyer to help you understand the charges and protect your interest, but the best course of action is to avoid driving at all when drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
Speeding
Speeding is not just a violation of the law; it’s a dangerous choice that can have severe consequences. Putting your foot down a little bit more to shave a few seconds or minutes from your journey time can lead to massive issues for others and you and your car. It’s important to remember that speeding kills, and the risks far outweigh any perceived benefits.
When driving at speed, you have less time to react to situations that could occur, and this can leave you, road users, and pedestrians at greater risk of harm and your vehicle sustaining damage. This is why speed limits are in place to give you enough time to react to different situations that might present thmselves in different areas. Always drive up to the speed limit to help you remain in control at all times and to be able to react accordingly if something changes in the environment.
Not Yielding to Right of Way
One common and entirely avoidable issue is the failure to yield to the right of way on the roads. The ability to merge into traffic or cross an intersection is a privilege, and different directions will have the right of way over others. Not yielding puts you and other road users at risk, as they need to accommodate your poor decisions. Always be aware of your surroundings, traffic signs, and road markings, and always yield if required to do so.
Distracted Driving
This is driving when using cell phones, or when the music is too loud, eating, drinking, applying makeup, looking at passengers watching screens, etc., any action that takes your focus away from the road and driving is a distraction, and too many distractions or not paying enough attention to the road while focusing on other things including rubbernecking can result in a collision. To put it into perspective, distracted driving in 2019 contributed to over 3,000 fatal collisions on the road (source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
Tailgating
Tailgating is the act of driving too close to the vehicle in front of you, and it can cause massive issues on the roads. From intimidating other drivers and causing them to make mistakes to misjudging the situation and causing a serious accident, tailgating is one of the biggest driving mistakes across the country. Due to its seriousness, it is illegal and a traffic violation in every state.
There is variability in how close is too close, and states have different rules on this but the National Safety Council recommends that a space of three seconds is plenty for most vehicles, but this needs to be adjusted if you’re driving large vehicles, i.e., if your pulling a trailer you need to leave 4 seconds or if you’re driving a tractor-trailers leave 6 to 8 seconds.
You need to use common sense regarding weather conditions and leave more space. To set the right time distance, you need to find a fixed point on the road. When the vehicle in front of you passes, count the seconds until you pass through; if it’s under three, you’re too close.
Driving Unroadworthy Vehicles
If your vehicle isn’t roadworthy, this can compromise many of your driving abilities and leave you and other road users vulnerable. Your vehicle needs to be in a good state of repair, and if you are neglecting to maintain or repair damage to your vehicle, not only can you be at risk of a fine, i.e., a broken taillight is a traffic offense in all states, but also losing your freedom due to causing death or injury due to negligence concerning driving road safe vehicle.
Driving When Tired
Studies have been conducted into the effects of fatigue on driving habits, and the results show that driving mistakes go up when you’re tired just as much as driving under the influence for some people. Taking to the road when you haven’t had enough sleep, or not taking enough breaks on long road trips can impair your reaction times, and leave you unable to assess danger on the road. It can also leave you open to falling asleep at the wheel, which can be fatal.
Always take frequent breaks, use music and fresh air to help keep you awake, and try to avoid driving when you’ve not had enough sleep so you’re not one of the 100,000 people on the roads each year causing accidents due to drowsy driving.
The more you can do to stay safe when driving, the easier it will be to stay safe on the roads and not be the cause of any accidents when driving.