Top 10 Most Dangerous Driving Habits
Among the many jobs I’ve had over the years, one of the most interesting—and rewarding—was that of driving instructor, which I did for just over two years. Not only was it an education for my students—average age: 15—but a real learning experience for me as well. (It’s amazing how much I didn’t know about the rules of the road and basic techniques when I started, despite having 35 years driving experience under my belt.) The experience also taught me how much bad driving there is out there, even among so-called veteran drivers. As such, and as a public safety feature, I thought it might be helpful to identify the top ten most dangerous driving habits and mistakes drivers consistently make. (If you are guilty of more than three of the offenses you see on the list, you might want to consider taking some retraining yourself.)
10. Distracted driving
I’m not talking cell phone usage here (see number 9) or phone texting (see number 3 on the list) but just the general distractions we are all guilty of engaging in from time to time such as fiddling with the radio, looking for something inside the car while driving, studying a map while behind the wheel, letting the dog sit in your lap, and eating. People don’t appreciate how easy it is to drift into another lane while looking for a better song on the radio or while trying not to spill ketchup on their shirt while eating a Big Mac, but it is remarkably simple thing to do. Remember, at freeway speeds your car is traveling around 90 feet every second, making even a momentary lapse a recipe for disaster (and a bad way to ruin your dinner).
9. Cell phone use
I know, everybody does it, but few people realize how extremely dangerous it can be. Tests on closed courses found that drivers talking on a cell phone while working their way through an obstacle course did much poorer than people without phones, making cell phone use while behind the wheel among the most dangerous habits Americans engage in. While hands-free cell phones help a little in that they at least allow the driver to keep both hands on the wheel, it is the distracting nature of the conversation itself that is the real problem. It seems that unlike walking and chewing gum at the same time, talking and driving at the same time is a much more difficult task to accomplish. Unfortunately, it’s one of those habits that isn’t going to go away anytime soon, but is, in fact, only likely to become even more pronounced as communication technologies evolve through the coming years. Also, if you’re plugged into your iPod while driving, you’re not going to hear police and ambulance sirens, which can lead to most unpleasant consequences.
8. Rolling stops
I know it’s easy to blow through a stop sign when there’s no one around, but turning it into a habit is how one eventually gets T-boned (which can be among the most lethal crashes one can be involved in, especially at high speeds). It’s especially dangerous to do it in residential areas where visibility can be an issue and where pedestrian and bicycle traffic is more pronounced. It’s also important to know who has the right of way when two or more cars come to a four-way stop at the same time. (The car to the light first has the right of way, with the car to his or her right next and so on, moving counter-clockwise.) Finally, it’s important to treat flashing red lights like a stop sign and come to a full stop before proceeding. The chances are good that the cross traffic is a flashing yellow, which means proceed with caution but don’t stop, so if you don’t heed the signal, there’s an excellent chance you’ll get nailed.
7. Failure to signal or signaling too late
I have trouble understanding why people wouldn’t want other drivers to know their intentions, but there seems to be an epidemic of secrecy where such information is concerned. This unwillingness to let others know what you plan on doing is responsible for hundreds of thousands of fender benders each year as people try to guess what another driver is up to and guessing wrong. It’s remarkable how many minor accidents—and many major ones as well—could be averted by simply toggling that little signal switch on the left side of the steering wheel, yet there are millions of drivers out there who adamantly refuse to do so. The other problem is that many of those who do use their signal use too little of it (1 second of signal is not enough) or are too late. (Starting the signal while in the middle of a lane change is moot. Signal your intentions, not your actions.)
6. Running lights
We’ve all sped up in an effort to make a yellow light, but it’s amazing how many people are still flying through a busy intersection long after the yellow has changed to red. Not only is running a light a hefty fine, but it is the cause of some of the most destructive and fatal car accidents, usually because of the higher speeds involved in trying to outrun a light. The other bad habit many drivers consistently demonstrate is at turn arrows, when cars will continue to stream around the corner long after the green arrow has gone out and, in many cases, the through traffic light has turned green. Not only is it dangerous, but when blatant enough it really hoses up the traffic flow as cars which have been waiting patiently for their turn to go get stuck waiting for the light runners to clear the intersection. Not as dangerous as running a through light, perhaps, but every bit as inconsiderate of other drivers.
5. Speeding
This is an obvious one that leads to thousands of highway fatalities each year. The problem is not in the speed itself—people can drive quite safely even at a hundred miles an hour under the proper conditions (such as they do every day on the Autobahn)—but when it is combined with curving roads, inclement weather, alcohol use (see no. 1) or aggressiveness (abruptly swerving from lane to lane, tailgating, using the shoulder to pass slower traffic, etc.) it can be positively lethal. The problem comes from the fact that in cars today, driving at high speeds doesn’t “feel” all that fast, lulling drivers into underestimating just how much velocity they have built up, and how little reaction time they have if something unexpected happens. Also, if you feel you have too much money, try driving through a construction zone or active school zone at twenty MPH over and see what happens. (Fines are doubled!) But hey, what’s a few hundred bucks and 4 points if it gets you to work five minutes earlier?
4. Failure to yield and poor merging skills
These two acts cause more accidents than many might imagine. Failing to yield the right of way to other traffic is not only rude but dangerous and the reason behind many multi-car pileups on the freeway every day. (It’s also the energy behind most cases of road rage, another increasingly popular trend nowadays.) On the other hand, many people have no clue how to merge into heavy traffic, preferring to use the “close your eyes and hit the gas” technique in hopes that the sea of cars will part like the Red Sea. But the biggest problem is entering the freeway too slowly (ten to fifteen miles below the speed of the freeway traffic is too slow.) That’s why we have such long on-ramps: it gives drivers the space to match the speed of traffic, making merging far easier. Other tips when merging: use your signal while picking up speed on the ramp (drivers will frequently yield the closest lane if they see you earlier) and pick your spot long before you get to the traffic. It’s amazing how many people don’t even look at the traffic until they’re at the end of the ramp, at which point they’re inevitably going to have trouble with the merge.
Tie: 3. Text messaging while driving
Technology is wonderful, but sometimes one can get too much of a good thing. Nowhere is this better illustrated than with text messaging, when drivers literally place both their life and the lives of others around them in serious danger just so they can text their buddy and inform them that they’re not doin’ anything. Even super fast “texters” are playing with fire, for one day they’ll learn the hard way that taking one’s eyes off the road even for a couple of seconds can have serious consequences. (Remember, at highway speeds, one covers the length of a football field every four seconds. That’s a lot of highway to not pay attention to.) Much of this could easily be avoided if one simply asked themselves one simple question: Is this text worth my life, the life of others, or losing my license? Chances are it isn’t, but that’s a judgment call.
Tie: 3. Driving too fast in inclement weather
It’s amazing how many people will drive like maniacs on icy roads and in heavy rains, putting themselves and everyone around them in grave danger in the process. This tendency probably stems from many drivers over-confidence in their abilities or in their vehicle’s capabilities, especially if one is driving a four-wheel drive. (Ever notice that SUVs seem to be the most commonly seen vehicle lying on their roof in the ditch during a snowstorm? I wonder why that is?) It’s also important to be aware that one’s own splash back (known as a rooster-tail) is creating visibility issues for drivers behind them. You can’t eliminate the effect, but you can greatly reduce its size and impact on other drivers by slowing down to a more reasonable speed. And watch that following distance: you have far more time to react to somebody spinning out ahead of you if you double or even triple your normal following distance during bad weather.
2. Tailgating
Speaking of following distance, perhaps the most common and dangerous habit one can develop is the tendency to follow too closely. In fact, a majority of the accidents each day are usually a result of tailgating, especially on the freeways. What’s too close? Forget about car lengths; use time instead. If there is less than two seconds between your front bumper and the rear bumper of the guy ahead of you, you’re technically tailgating. Three to four seconds during fair weather is much more reasonable (and works for any speed). Double that during inclement weather and earthquakes. Also remember, if you nail someone from behind, even if they slammed on their brakes unexpectedly or failed to signal a turn, you will still be held responsible for the accident (with all the fines and insurance rate hikes that will entail). They may have contributed to the accident, but the assumption is that if you had been maintaining a reasonable following distance, you would have had time to react and so avoided their mistake. And you know what? They’re right.
1. Driving while impaired/intoxicated
It’s well known that drunk-driving is one of the most dangerous activities one can engage in: not only does it reduce one’s reaction time, ability to judge distance accurately, and make one more aggressive, but if you kill someone while driving drunk you could be looking at some major jail time (not to mention the possible permanent loss of license). But driving while intoxicated isn’t the only danger out there. ( Be aware if you do have struggles with alcohol, you may need to consider an alcohol treatment center.) Driving while high on drugs or after toking on a joint is equally as lethal, as is driving while angry, either of which can also get your thrown into the pokey if you cause a major accident. But one of the worst habits one can engage in is driving while sleep deprived, which studies have consistently shown to be even more dangerous than driving drunk and probably results in a disproportionate amount of fatal rollovers and head on collisions. How to know when you’re too tired to drive? If you are too tired to play frisbee, you’re probably too tired to drive. (Hey, it works for me.)
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Jeff Danelek is a Denver, Colorado author who writes on many subjects having to do with history, politics, the paranormal, spirituality and religion. To see more of his stuff, visit his website at www.ourcuriousworld.com.
