Five Bad Driving Habits To Break This New Year
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
With a New Year, comes the opportunity to make some positive changes to our habits. After helping South Florida auto accident injury victims for over 30 years now, we have seen how a small bad driving habit can have a devastating impact. It takes only one bad decision to lead to consequences that can last a lifetime. So this New Year, why not make some resolutions to break those bad driving habits we all do? Here are five bad driving habits to consider ditching:• Distracted Driving: Whether you are sending a text on your phone, eating a lunch to go, or trying to get your children to stop fighting, distracted driving is very dangerous. In fact, distracted driving is the number one cause of accidents in Florida. So this year, rather than multi-task, stay safe and pull over.
• Speeding: Between getting to work on time, grabbing your kids after school, and running your daily errands, it sometimes feels like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. Sometimes this rush can lead us to speed. Speeding is not only one of the top causes of accidents, it also can make the damage from an accident far worse. Speed limits are determined by a number of safety factors including road conditions, population, and traffic volume. Going above the speed limit greatly reduces your safety.
• Tailgating: Man is it frustrating when you are running late and the person in front of you is driving under the speed limit or driving slowly because they are busy on their phones. The temptation we all have is to tailgate in hopes of signaling to them, they need to pay attention and drive the speed limit. However, most of the time, this is ineffective and only puts you at a much higher risk for a rear-end collision. Since rear-end collisions are almost always considered the fault of the driver in the back, it can also lead to vindictive accidents by the front driver brake checking. Give people the space and wait until you can pass them this year.
• Forgetting To Use Your Turn Signal: Turn signals are crucial to communicate your intentions to other drivers. Often times we simply forget to use our turning signals. In some cases we can merge into another car or get into an accident at an intersection when another vehicle thinks we are going straight. These accidents can be really devastating, so get into the habit of just always using your signal every time you make a turn, even when no one is around. That way you never forget.
• Not Checking Your Blind Spots: Blind spots are inherently dangerous, but not always checking them can lead to really bad accidents. Even when you have been watching your rear view, cars may come up from behind very quickly or merge into the lane without your notice. In these cases, if you don’t check your blind spot, you could careen right into them. You can also buy vehicles and aftermarket sensors that notify you when someone is in your blind spot. If you often forget, these can serve as helpful reminders to always check.
Breaking yourself of these five bad habits can help you reduce your risk of accident in the New Year. Sadly though, even the most defensive drivers can sometimes get into accidents through no fault of their own. In those cases, the attorneys at All Injuries Law Firm are here for you. Call us anytime you need us!