5 Driving Behaviors That Endanger the Lives of Your Fellow Motorists

Most people get a driver’s license at some point. Many try to get one as soon as they turn 16. Others may wait a bit longer, but they usually move forward with this step eventually.

That’s because, unless you live in a city with excellent public transportation, having a personal form of conveyance makes sense. You can go anywhere with a car, including to work, the grocery store, a friend’s house, or just about anywhere else you’d like.

Driving comes with its share of dangers, though. For instance, California sees about 3,000 traffic fatalities per month, and the other more heavily populated states have similar numbers. 

You can try to avoid car accidents by staying safe while on the road. That means avoiding dangerous driving behaviors. 

In this article, we’ll talk about the more dangerous driving behaviors in which you might engage. You should always avoid these, since they can harm you, your passengers, or your fellow motorists.

Speeding

If you get out on the highway, you need to obey the speed limit. If you see that there’s no vehicles around you, though, and your car’s speedometer says it can go up to 160 miles per hour, you might have the urge to give it a try.

You need to stick to a safe speed, whether you’re out on the highway, in a residential neighborhood, or anywhere else. By doing so, you make it less likely that you’ll lose control of the vehicle. 

At a high rate of speed, you might not have the same reflexes that you’d have at a much lower one. If you’re going around a sharp turn, you can flip your vehicle over, especially if you’re in an SUV or something else equally top heavy. 

Drunk Driving

If you drive drunk, that can also endanger you and your fellow drivers. You also threaten cyclists, joggers, pets, and any other living creature that gets in your vehicle’s path.

Some people feel like they’re excellent drivers, so they don’t want to call for an Uber, even if they feel certain they’re over the legal limit. Others may think they can get safely home if they drank at a bar and they’re just a few miles away.

Even if you’re a great driver, though, and even if you know the route home like the back of your hand, you still need to give someone else your keys if you’re thinking about driving while intoxicated. You can come back and get your car later. 

By knowing when to stay off the roads while under the influence, you make it much more likely you’ll live through the night. Anyone else you might encounter can say the same.

Using Your Smartphone

Nearly every licensed driver has a smartphone in the modern era. You might have one with you in the car, but you should know not to use it while you’re behind the wheel.

Your smartphone can do amazing things, and you might have a hard time putting it down. At any moment, you might get a text from a friend. A new video might drop on YouTube that you want to watch. Maybe you have a game where you’re trying to get the new high score. 

You shouldn’t do any of that while driving, though. If you know you might feel the temptation to look at your cell phone will driving, put it in the car’s center consol, in the glove compartment, or in your pocket.

Do whatever you need to do to keep this device from distracting you. If you try to look at a text while driving, that one moment might cause a fatal crash.

Letting the Radio or Navigation System Distract You

You might like to listen to the radio while you are driving. If you have a long or boring commute, then listening to your favorite song or band can put you in a good mood and get you ready for work. You may also like to listen to your favorites while on the way home in the evening or when you’re on a long road trip.

The radio might distract you if you’re trying to change the station, though. If you want to listen to a different station or to switch to another song, wait till you get to a red light. You can keep an eye on the light with your peripheral vision while changing the station or song to something you like more.

You might also let the car’s navigation system distract you. If you’re going somewhere unfamiliar, then having dictated directions makes sense. You can’t look at the screen if you’re in the middle of heavy traffic, though. Doing so might make you cause an accident. 

Letting Food or Drinks Distract You

You might also want to stop at a drive-through if you’re hungry. Maybe you love the McNuggets from McDonalds or a frosty from Wendy’s. 

No matter what favorite treat you like, you can get it and eat it in the parking lot if you don’t want to wait till you get home. Otherwise, you can take it with you, but you shouldn’t try to start your meal while driving.

Some drivers think nothing of trying to open a ketchup packet or to unwrap a sandwich while driving 70 miles-per-hour on the highway. That’s never safe. Looking down at your food might prove disastrous if a car ahead of you slams on the brakes and you don’t react in time.

If you buy food, either eat it at the restaurant or resist the urge to dig in till you reach your destination. You don’t want to accidentally make this your last meal. 

You can probably think of some other dangerous driving behaviors you’ve seen. Maybe you’ve acted in some of these ways yourself. If you got away with it, that’s lucky. You never know when that luck might run out, though, so try to avoid all of the activities we’ve mentioned.

By ML staff. Image courtesy of Pexels.