Unsafe driving practices cause thousands of injuries and deaths due to automobile accidents every year. Motorists who cause injuries and property damage due to their unsafe habits on the road may be legally liable to pay for those damages.
What are some of the most common unsafe driving practices?
1. Distracted driving
Distracted driving involves any activity that takes attention away from the task of driving. Examples of common distracting activities include eating and drinking, talking to people on a cellphone or in the vehicle, texting, looking at or adjusting a navigation or entertainment system, changing the radio and checking on children in the backseat.
2. Drunk driving
About one person dies every 52 minutes as the result of a DUI accident. Driving while intoxicated increases risk because alcohol impairs thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. The negative effects of alcohol on driving rise at higher blood alcohol concentrations; however, even alcohol amounts that are below the legal threshold can affect the ability to operate a vehicle.
3. Speeding
Excessive speed is one of the most common contributors to injuries and deaths in automobile accidents. The faster a person is driving, the more likely they are to lose control of their vehicle, the longer it takes their vehicle to stop, and the more severe injuries suffered in crashes tend to be.
All motorists have a duty to drive safely, which includes avoiding risky actions. Some behaviors can be difficult to prove. However, witness accounts, cellphone records, blood tests and accident scene investigations may produce evidence that indicates dangerous driving habits contributed to a crash.