Your state of mind and what’s on your mind impacts your driving. You take your bad mood, your fight with your wife, your stress about work, or your desire to share that crazy gossip with your girlfriend with you behind the wheel. Your mood can distract from your driving and make the drive home unsafe for you and others on the road.
Angry or Hurried Driving can cause Fatal Car Crashes
Getting behind the wheel when you are angry or in a hurry to get somewhere can make you extremely distracted. Many who are angry or in a hurry drive competitively. Often following too close or making unsafe lane changes to beat traffic. This type of behavior makes these drivers a risk to themselves and others on the road.
Those who are in a hurry may take risks on the road to get to their destination sooner. They may speed through a yellow and run a red light. They may ignore warning signs or drive aggressively trying to push other drivers out of their way.
If you have an angry or aggressive driver behind you or trying to maneuver around you, give them some space. Avoid engaging the aggressive driver. It is tempting to lay on the horn or express your displeasure with their behavior through a gesture or two. However, it is best to let them move on by. A 2009 study published by the American Automobile Association found that aggressive driving played a role in 56% of fatal crashes from 2003 to 2007, with speeding being the number one contributing factor.
Inattentive Drivers can cause Car Crashes
Talking on the phone, eating, or adjusting the radio can cause car accidents. Anything that causes you to take your eyes off of the road is a hazard while driving. Even your children fighting in the back seat are distractions. Many of us now associate cell phone usage including texting and even using Facebook as distractions that should be avoided while driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2013 that 10% of fatal crashes, 18% of injury crashes and 16% of all reported car accidents were caused by distracted driving.
Distractions while driving slow reaction time and distracted drivers fail to see potential hazards such as pedestrians or debris in the road. Even a momentary distraction can cause you to miss a traffic signal or to veer off of the road. Over 8,000 distracted driving accidents occur daily across the nation.
3 Safety Tips to Help you Prevent Fatal Crashes
- Check your attitude at the door before getting on the road.
- Be aware of the road conditions and the condition of your vehicle.
- Follow the rules of the road – obey traffic signals and speed limits. Avoid cutting people off or following too closely.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Houston car crash caused by an angry or distracted driver, contact Chelsie King Garza for a free consultation today.
