No one wants to risk being injured in a car crash, but many people engage in dangerous driving behaviors nonetheless. While you may think you are not one of these dangerous drivers because you don't drink and drive or speed recklessly, you may be surprised to learn that you probably do engage in some of the most dangerous driver actions at least occasionally.
With the rise in motor vehicle deaths, it’s time to take a look at what many drivers are doing that threatens their safety and the lives of others on the road. According to a survey compiled by the National Safety Council (NSC), American drivers have some terrible habits and alarming opinions that may be affecting our roadways.
In order to find out if you are guilty of making some of the top risky driving behaviors revealed in the NSC survey, ask yourself these questions:
- Are you texting at the wheel? 47 percent of drivers feel that sending a text message manually or hands-free is safe; however, texting and driving is one of the most dangerous behaviors a driver can engage in.
- Are you checking or answering emails while driving? 45 percent of drivers feel pressured to check their emails while traveling for work or commuting to and from the office. However, any time a driver’s eyes are off the road, hands are off the wheel, and mind is focused on something else—even if it’s just seconds—it’s distracted driving.
- Are you using social media while driving? 35 percent of teen drivers are using social media behind the wheel. Just like texting or emailing while driving, engaging in social media at the wheel is distracted driving that increases one’s chances of crashing.
- Are you getting enough sleep before driving? 33 percent of drivers surveyed felt that it was safe to drive on less than four hours of sleep. However, many people don’t realize that driving while drowsy is like driving drunk.
At Shevlin Smith, we have seen the effects of traffic accidents, which is why we want to encourage all motorists to put down their phones and stop multitasking at the wheel. While we know it can be hard in today’s fast-paced world to simply focus on driving—not making phone calls or replying to emails on the road—we also know that no phone call or email is worth your life or the life of someone else sharing the road. Please do your part and share this blog with those you know on your favorite social media site so we can remind drivers that the risks they are taking are not worth it.
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