Written by Parnall Law Firm reviewed by Bert Parnall Car Accident Articles
Owner/CEO at Parnall Law Firm
Car crashes caused approximately 38,800 deaths in the United States in a single recent year, according to the National Safety Council. These crashes also caused more than 4 million serious injuries.
The fact is that most car accidents are preventable. Most drivers understand that risky behavior, such as driving while texting or after drinking, is behind such accidents. Nonetheless, many drivers still engage in these same behaviors.
To minimize the damage and losses caused by car accidents in our country, it is important for drivers to understand the impact of risky driving behavior and how to avoid it when behind the wheel.
The vast majority of car accidents in the U.S. result from human error. In other words, these accidents could have been prevented if one of the drivers involved had not engaged in risky or careless behavior.
With drivers texting, taking phone calls, speeding, driving under the influence, and feeling exhausted behind the wheel, the roads can become a very dangerous place. Also, we should consider that winter driving adds further challenges with slippery roads, reduced visibility, and shorter days. Check out these winter driving tips to stay safe.
Even though most drivers are aware of the risks that these behaviors pose, they still tend to do one or more of them. For instance, the leading cause of preventable accidents – distracted driving – is also the most common risk taken by drivers, even though it is known to dramatically increase the chance of an accident.
This trend holds true for drivers who have recently been involved in a crash themselves. A AAA study found that drivers who had been in recent accidents were also more likely to report that they had engaged in risky driving behaviors in the month prior to taking the survey.
For example, 43% of the respondents who had been in a crash admitted to texting while driving in the previous month, compared to 27% of respondents who hadn’t been in a recent crash. Meanwhile, 96% of all respondents said they considered typing or texting while driving to be very dangerous. Clearly, drivers’ behaviors don’t always match up with their beliefs about safety.
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The statistics above prompt the question: Why do drivers engage in risky behavior despite knowing the dangers involved? The truth is that there is no single answer to this question – but there are a few common reasons that drivers take unnecessary risks behind the wheel. Here are some of them:
There are many different types of risky driving behaviors. In general, these behaviors can be broken down into distracted, tired, aggressive, and impaired driving. For example, texting while driving exemplifies distracted driving, while speeding is a form of aggressive driving.
Learning to recognize risky behavior in all of its forms can help drivers acknowledge and change their own dangerous habits. Here is a list of some specific, prevalent types of risky behavior behind the wheel:
Distracted driving is widely recognized by safety experts as the leading unsafe driving behavior contributing to collisions. This encompasses a range of activities, including texting, eating, talking on the phone, and using navigation apps while driving. These distractions significantly impair a driver’s focus and reaction time, dramatically increasing the likelihood of accidents.
Drunk driving is another important dangerous behavior that contributes to road accidents and fatalities. A person’s alcohol level is measured using the weight of alcohol in a specific volume of blood, a measure called Blood Alcohol Concentration(BAC).
It is illegal in all states, including New Mexico, to operate a vehicle with a BAC of .08 or higher, except Utah, with a BAC limit of 0.5. Alcohol intake impedes the function of the brain, leading to impaired thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination.
Here are the effects of alcohol that exceeds a BAC of 0.08:
According to NHTSA, 37 people die each day in the United States in drunk driving crashes. In 2022, 13,524 people in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths.
In New Mexico, 129 people died in alcohol-impaired accidents in 2019. Alcohol is involved in 40 percent of all fatal traffic crashes in New Mexico, making alcohol-related traffic fatalities the single most significant contributor to the state’s traffic deaths.
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In 2022, 3,308 people died in distracted driving incidents.
Distracted driving is any activity that takes away attention from driving, including reading emails, texting and driving, talking on the phone, or adjusting your stereo system. Texting and driving are dangerous distractions.
Reading or sending a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. If you’re driving at 55mph, 5 seconds of distraction is like driving an entire football field with your eyes closed.
Driving above the speed limit deemed safe for specific road conditions is illegal. 75mph is the applicable speed limit on interstates. Driving above the prescribed speed limit endangers you, passengers, and other road users.
In addition to exceeding prescribed limits, speeding includes other behaviors, such as driving too fast for road conditions like ice, construction sites, or rain.
The dangers of speeding include:
Tailgating is a dangerous behavior that increases the risk of collisions. When the rear driver follows too closely, they have limited reaction time, making it difficult to avoid collisions in emergencies.
Tailgating can contribute to a chain reaction of road accidents. A single accident caused by tailgating can trigger a chain reaction of collisions involving multiple vehicles.
Failure to use turn signals is a standard error that often results in road accidents. If you fail to use a turn signal, the other motorist may not recognize your intent to turn left or right, resulting in a situation that can cause an accident.
Common accidents associated with failure to use turn signals include:
Here are a few tips to help minimize risky behaviors and promote safety on the roads:
If you have been involved in a car accident caused by someone else’s risky behavior, you may be entitled to compensation. Don’t hesitate to contact the skilled car accident lawyers at Parnall Law for assistance with your case. Even if you are unsure of whether your situation merits legal action, we will lend an experienced ear to help you determine the best path forward.
Hurt? Call Bert! Call us now or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Bertrand Russell Parnall who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.
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