Almost every Central Pennsylvania motorist considers themselves to be a skilled and safe driver. It’s other people on the road who are causing all the car accidents with their reckless behavior.
While we are sure almost all of our readers are careful and attentive behind the wheel, many people are much more dangerous drivers than they would admit or possibly even realize. Maybe they excuse their bad driving habits or are ignorant that the things they do put other people in grave danger by raising the risk of a terrible auto wreck.
Four ways bad drivers put us at risk of bodily harm
While there are several bad habits that can cause a car accident, here are four of the worst.
- Speeding. Exceeding the speed limit can make a driver lose control and reduce the time they have to brake for stopped traffic.
- Drunk driving. Driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol affects your awareness, judgment and reaction time.
- Distracted driving. Using your phone, even just for a few seconds, can greatly increase the odds of causing a car accident. Not that smartphones are the only cause of distracted driving wrecks. Virtually anything that is not driving, such as food, toiletries and the radio can cause a serious distraction to the motorist.
- Aggressive driving. Drivers who tailgate, race to beat red lights (or blow through them), weave between lanes and otherwise drive overly aggressively put everybody in danger.
Not only are these actions dangerous, they all are almost entirely preventable. Nobody has to drive drunk, distracted by their phones or over the speed limit. Driving negligently is almost always a choice — one that disregards the lives and safety of other drivers and passengers on the road.