No one wants to risk an injury after a car accident; however, these same people are engaging in dangerous behaviors while behind the wheel. While you may believe you aren’t one of these dangerous drivers, because you don’t speed recklessly or drink and drive, you may be shocked to learn that you do actually engage in some of the most dangerous actions – at least from time to time.
Take a Look at Common Car Accident Risk Factors
With more and more people being fatally injured after a car accident, now is the time to take a look at what you and other drivers are doing that may risk your safety, as well as the safety of others who are on the road. According to a survey that was done by the National Safety Council, or NSC, drivers throughout the country have a number of terrible habits and alarming options that may be affecting roadways of all types.
To figure out if you are participating in these risky driving behaviors, then you should consider the following questions, as these are tell-tale signs it may be time to make a change in what you do behind the wheel.
Questions to Consider: Are You Increasing Your Risk of a Car Accident?
Some of the questions to ask yourself include:
- Are you texting while you are behind the wheel? Approximately 47 percent of all drivers believe that sending a text message manually, or even with hands free technology will be safe. However, if you text and drive, you are actually engaging in one of the riskiest behaviors you can while driving.
- Are you checking your email or answering them while you are driving? It is estimated that 45 percent of drivers feel as though there is pressure on them to check their email while they are traveling for work, or if they are commuting to and from their office. However, any time your eyes leave the road, your hands are off of the wheel and your mind is thinking about something else, even if it is just a few seconds, it is considered distracted driving.
- Are you using any type of social media while you are driving? With 35 percent of teen drivers using social media behind the wheel, this is a prevalent problem that is only getting worse. Similar to emailing and texting while driving, if you engage in social media while behind the wheel, it is going to increase the chances you have of being involved in a car accident.
- Are you getting plenty of sleep before getting behind the wheel? About 33 percent of all drivers feel as though it is safe to drive if they have had four (or less) hours of sleep. However, drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving.
If you are involved in a car accident where the other person was distracted or engaging in some other activity, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for the injuries and damages that occurred. The best way to know if you have a car accident case worth perusing is by contacting the team of attorneys at Hilton & Somer by calling (703) 560-0700.
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