The fact that there are roughly 6 million car crashes every year in the United States is frustrating, to say the least. Too many people on the road are constantly making mistakes and forming bad habits. These mistakes can have serious, irreversible consequences. What’s worse is that many, if not most, auto accidents are preventable. How? Here are a few bad habits that drivers can (and should!) unlearn.
- Not Using Turning Signals
There’s no reason not to use your turning signal. Even when there aren’t cars behind you, using your turning signal will reinforce the habit in your muscle memory. - Tailgating
People hate it when you ride their bumper for good reason. If they need to make an emergency stop, the person behind them will cause an accident. - Brake Checking
On the other side of this, if someone is tailgating you, brake checking them is the worst thing you can do. That’s essentially inviting them to crash into you. - Texting
People die because of this every day. If you aren’t looking at the road, how are you supposed to know where you’re going. Just stop doing it. - Rolling Stops
This doesn’t seem like too big of a deal at first. Police officers might not even pull you over for doing it. Rolling stops actually can cause accidents, though. Be patient and come to a complete stop before making your turn or continuing on. - Not Checking Mirrors
Whether it’s in a parking lot or on the highway, failing to check your mirrors at the wrong time can easily result in a massive auto accident. - Merging Too Slowly
When merging on to a highway, timid drivers may be uncomfortable taking the on-ramp at speed. This is exponentially more dangerous than merging at the highway’s speed limit. People don’t expect you to be going so slow, so they will rear end you very hard.
Auto accidents and road safety are no joking matter. People have sustained life ruining injuries in accidents; many have died. If you have been injured in a car crash, call a car accident attorney to handle your case. No one should suffer due to reckless driving mistakes and bad habits. Car wreck attorneys can help you seek justice and fairness in a court of law.