How you drive will have a significant influence on your risk of being involved in a collision. And while even the most cautious drivers can still find themselves involved in a car accident, expert injury lawyers will ensure you receive compensation for the unfair and traumatizing event.
With that said, it will be challenging to claim even from your own insurance company if you are involved in a collision that you are responsible for. So to ensure you are never reckless on the roads, you must avoid these bad driving habits that can cause collisions.
Driving While Intoxicated
Drunk driving is the leading cause of car accidents globally. A staggering total of 28 percent of car accident fatalities in the United States of America are caused by intoxicated drivers. The most devastating fact about drunk driving is that the intoxicated driver is more likely to survive even a severe collision as alcohol depresses the nervous system, ensuring relaxation. As a result, it is generally the victims that endure severe and fatal injuries during these accidents. Therefore, even though you might think a drink or two won’t hurt, you should never drive while intoxicated.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is another unfortunate leading cause of accidents. Using your phone to text or make a call, lighting a cigarette, changing the song on the radio, eating or drinking, or reaching for an item that has fallen in your vehicle are all considered distracted driving. These actions abolish your ability to be a vigilant driver and significantly increase your chances of causing an accident.
Ignoring The Speed Limits
Another leading cause of collisions is speeding, as speeding will reduce your vigilance and your ability to be alert. What’s more, speeding always results in more severe accidents as the impact rate is higher, increasing the chances of fatal injuries substantially. With that said, the habit of ignoring the speed limits also refers to driving too slow on highways can cause an accident. Other vehicles following the speed limit will not be able to note that your car is not moving at the speed it should be, increasing the chances of being rear-ended.
Fatigued Driving
Fatigued driving is the culprit of many horrific accident scenes around the world. And these accidents often involve larger vehicles such as trucks and trailers. However, any driver traveling long distances is more at risk of enduring an accident due to falling asleep behind the wheel. For this reason, you must take a half-hour break every two hours when traveling long distances and adopt safe habits when driving at night. Even if you are not traveling far distances, yet you have not had enough sleep, driving while tired enhances the risk of an accident.
Several bad habits increase your chances of causing an accident. And finding yourself responsible for the potentially fatal injuries of another will be devastating for all those involved. Therefore, it is best to adopt safe driving habits to ensure you are always on the right side of the law.