Avoid These 5 Bad Driving Habits
Let’s be honest, it’s been a while since driver’s ed, and you probably don’t think about your driving habits and whether they are good or bad. Even worse is driving laws from state to state and even town to town can vary greatly. Here are four driving habits you probably do that may be putting you or others at risk. If you or someone you know was involved in an accident consider hiring an Accident Attorney in Provo Utah.
Smart Phones
Most people in this day and age have become addicted to their smartphones. The constant pinging and beeps from your pocket make it difficult to not look at the screen and see what all the fuss is about. In fact, 75% of Americans would say they are addicted to their smartphones while 65% of adults say they probably check their phones 160 times a day or more. Unfortunately, many of those “checks” are during the course the driving. Even then using your phone while driving is often illegal and if not then downright dangerous. As of 2021, only 20 states ban phone use by the driver completely, while two allow texting while driving. The remaining states allow phone use that is not texting which means it’s rather difficult for police to write tickets for phone use. Either way, your smartphone use could end up causing an accident in which case you’ll need to hire Provo Accident Attorneys.
Driving With Headphones On
Although this habitat isn’t technically illegal anywhere, it can lead to distracted driving tickets or accidents. When you enter your car it is important that your full situational awareness remains on the task at hand. This means not only do both hands need to be on the steering wheel, but you need to be listening to the noises around you as well. The most common problem lies in people not hearing sirens or the beep or car horn. In either case not hearing those sounds could mean emergency services cannot get around you and in some cases could mean legal charges for not yielding to an emergency vehicle.
Tailgating
Many drivers get far too comfortable driving mere inches away from the bumper of another car. This practice is extremely dangerous given how one unexpected change in the car ahead of you, just one second of something not going exactly right, and you could end up in a high-speed collision with a dozen other cars piling up on top of you. So it’s best to follow the 10:1 rule, for every 10 miles per hour you should give at least one car lengths distance. For example, if you’re going 70mph on the highway, then leave a 7 car length distance between you and the next vehicle. If you’re given a ticket for speeding consider an Accident Attorney Provo Utah.
Speeding
Perhaps a more obvious bad habit but still something many of us do. Speed limits are posted on certain roads for very good reasons. Road engineers and other safety experts have spent thousands of hours determining the safest speeds that still allow for maximum traffic flow. So the speed limit sign on the side of the road is a carefully crafted speed that is both safe and specific to the road you are on. With that being said, nearly 30% of all crash fatalities happen as a result of someone speeding with over 9,000 deaths per year because of this bad habit. If you are given a speeding ticket, consider hiring a Provo Accident Attorney today.
Legal Trouble
Since we’re all human it’s hard to shake off bad habits. Yet, it’s important to take responsibility for your actions, if you or someone you know has been given a traffic ticket or caused a collision and are being sued in court, now is a good time to seek out professional help. A Provo Car Accident Attorney like Howard Lewis & Petersen can help you navigate difficult legal situations where you caused or were involved in a collision.
