Motor vehicle accidents happen because of both unavoidable and avoidable events. In the first category, for example, pets and wild animals sometimes dash out onto the asphalt, and cold weather can create hard-to-see slippery black ice. In the second category, many drivers choose to act in highly risky ways. Read on to learn how to tackle three top risky actions that often lead to traffic-related injuries and deaths…
Pursue Self-Awareness and Change Dangerous Actions
In 2023, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 289,310 people suffered injuries and 3,308 died in 2022 because of distracted driving. Although some distractions weren’t entirely preventable, many injury and fatality cases involved drivers ignoring known traffic safety recommendations and laws.
Some drivers decided to chat and text via handheld cell phones. Some took their eyes off the road to eat a bite of food, search for a radio station, or turn to face a passenger. Many distracted drivers believed they could handle their vehicles while taking prescription medications that had warnings against handling machinery. These habits not only potentially cause deadly accidents but are also against the law. For example, in the state of Kentucky, drivers who take part in distracting behaviors can receive fines as well as points on their license.
In some cases, drivers chose to not put in the effort necessary to maintain awareness of bicyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. Additionally, a significant portion of drivers decided to drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs. The NHTSA found that from October to December 2020 alone, 56% of drivers who suffered major injuries or died had at least one type of drug in their systems.
These drivers failed to curb their bad habits and risk-taking actions to save themselves and others. Drivers can better protect everyone by simply taking the time to evaluate personal habits and change their ways.
Reconsider Dawn, Dusk and Nighttime Driving Habits
The NHTSA found in a separate study that nearly half of all traffic fatalities each year occurred during glaring sunrise and sunset, hazy twilight and nighttime hours. Drivers can avoid serious injury or death by limiting their driving to daylight hours.
Of course, most people don’t have the scheduling flexibility to stop driving during peak accident periods. If a driver must travel in poor visibility conditions because of natural light changes, they must alter how they approach their actions on America’s highways and byways. They should try to limit driving to when they feel the most alert. This rule works wonderfully at night and during the day. If they feel fatigued, they shouldn’t drive. If they become sleepy while driving, they should pull into a parking area or the side of the road and rest.
Other common changes they should make include dimming dashboard lights, driving more slowly and cautiously, and looking to the side of the road briefly when confronted with bright headlights. They should also wear glare- and reflection-reducing driving or prescription eyeglasses.
Drive Defensively Around Teens During Deadliest Days
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported in 2022 that teen drivers were involved in approximately seven fatalities per day during the decade spanning from 2011 to 2022. Adult drivers experienced crashes three times less than 16- and 17-year-old ones.
Why does this happen? Teen drivers in the hundreds of thousands take to the roads yearly because the summer months have the highest birth rates, especially in July and August. A high percentage of accidents occurred during what traffic experts call the “100 Deadliest Days,” from approximately Memorial Day (May) until Labor Day (September). It’s critical to take a more defensive approach during the late spring and summer months than any other time of year.
Teen drivers struggle with rapid physical, emotional and cognitive upheaval that adversely impacts their ability to focus and make good decisions. These changes often make them feel invincible, which leads them to take more risks. They lack experience with driving in any road conditions, let alone more hazardous summer ones. Risky summertime traffic conditions include rushed and bumper-to-bumper traffic, infrastructure construction projects, and risky behaviors by other drivers.