Guest post by Courtney Veal
Over 40,000 people die every year in auto accidents, and another three million suffer a range of injuries. Safe driving habits can prevent most of the over six million accidents per year. Check your driving habits against the following list of deadly habits that are routinely cited in accident reports.
1. Cell Phone Distractions
Handless cell phones are now standard in many autos, but studies show improvements in safety are minimal. The human brain is actually not a great multi-tasker, and conversations distract your attention and are especially dangerous in residential or urban traffic.
2. Failure to Follow Traffic Laws
Whether through ignorance or a feeling of invulnerability, drivers who do not follow the rules of the road are putting themselves and others in danger. Some of the most common and dangerous habits include:
- Rolling Stops
Coming to a complete stop seems unnecessary some times. Driving habits are what you do when you are not actively thinking about every move on the road however. Get in the habit of stopping fully.
- Inappropriate Speeding
A clear stretch of straight highway is an invitation to exceed the 55 mph limit. The problem is becoming accustomed to speeding. While safe on a straight and clear road, cruising at 100 mph is deadly on a road with curves, stops, or slower traffic.
- Failure to Yield or Merge
This is a leading cause of multi-car accidents on highways. Merging is an active process where you speed up to match traffic and enter a predetermined location. Drivers have a responsibility to ensure a place for merging traffic. Blinkers and friendly gestures to other drivers, such as yielding the lane, are great ways to save lives.
3. Tailgating
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A notorious urban legend claims that some people have turned tailgaters into another source of income. They wait for someone to tailgate and then brake suddenly to collect big bucks in damages and injuries. For a safe distance, imagine every driver ahead of you is about to slam their brakes.
4. Drugged Driving
Intoxicated driving is still a leading danger on the road despite the increase in random checks, traffic stops, fines, and other penalties. Any type of intoxication is just as deadly according to the law. There is more to this than alcohol and illegal drugs however.
Prescription drugs are another danger. The warnings about potential drowsiness are real. Worse yet, some drugs do not cause drowsiness unless in combination with others. It is best to double check with your pharmacist about potential drug interactions.
5. Drowsy Driving
A danger strongly related to intoxication is drowsiness. In fact, studies show sleep-deprived drivers are even more dangerous than intoxicated ones. The reason for this is the type of wrecks involved with sleep deprivation, including rollovers and head-on collisions.
From what is known about why and how accidents occur, most are entirely preventable with safe driving habits. The fact that insurance companies agree with this statement can be seen with the introduction of discounts attached to the installation of monitor devices. If it has been a while, consider taking a defensive driving course to refresh and update your skills.
About the author: Courtney Veal blogs about safe driving practices for www.carinsurance.org.uk. Lower your insurance rates by driving safer and having fewer accidents.