The deadliest driving mistakes you can make
Swerving The most common fatal mistake made by drivers is perhaps the most
simple: not staying in their own lane - i.e., running off the road or drifting
into the adjacent lane.
Speeding : Racing, driving faster than the posted speed limit or simply going
too fast for road conditions - speeding - comprises the second highest cause of
death in fatal crashes. The worst-case scenarios invariably involve speeding
without wearing a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet. Fatality rates for speeding
motorcyclists are shockingly high: speeding is a factor in more than one-third
of motorcycle fatalities. That risk doubles if the driver and passengers don't
wear helmets.
Not wearing a seat belt : Despite the fact that seat belt use is far more
prevalent than even a decade ago - not to mention being legally required - a
third of people who die in car crashes failed to buckle up. Without a seat
belt, car drivers and passengers put themselves at risk of being ejected from a
vehicle, and 76% of the time the ejection ends in death.
Running red lights : A whopping 75% of car crashes occur in cities, according
to the Insurance Research Council. The most common cause of these accidents?
Hitting the accelerator pedal when the light turns red. Of the myriad types of
collisions that can result, head-on and side-impact collisions are the most
dangerous.
Erratic or reckless driving : At its mildest, we're talking about weaving and
tailgating; at its most severe, this kind of driving involves steering down the
wrong side of the road and grossly exceeding the speed limit. Reckless driving
can bring fines, jail time - and death.
Overcorrecting : You get panicky when the wheels of your 4x4 hit the rumble
patch on the shoulder of the motorway, so you throw the steering wheel in the
opposite direction to get the car back on the road. This is a classic example
of overcorrecting or oversteering, and it's a particularly perilous manoeuvre
when you're behind the wheel of an SUV driving at high speeds. Consider it a
rollover waiting to happen.
Inattentive driving : Eating, talking on a phone, typing text messages and
fumbling with the car stereo all fall under the umbrella of inattentive
driving. Of these bad habits, mobile phone use behind the wheel is becoming
standard practice despite a three-points-and-a-fine penalty. Surprisingly, a
hands-free device isn't any better. "You'd think using a hands-free phone would
be less distracting," said Anne McCartt, author of a study published in the
British Medical Journal. "But we found that either phone type increased the
risk."
Failure to give way : For drivers aged 70 and above, failing to give way while
merging into traffic is the top cause of crashes.
Driving while drowsy : "Driving a vehicle when you are fatigued is as
dangerous as driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs," National
Transportation Safety Board acting chairman Mark Rosenker said, after a fatal
highway accident in the US in 2003 in which a college student who had been
awake for the previous 18 hours was driving a carload of fellow students at
5am. More traffic fatalities occur during the hours when most people are
accustomed to being asleep (3am to 6am) than at any other time of day.
Drinking & driving : Young drivers are particularly prone to drinking and
driving: the 21- to 34-year-old set is responsible for well over half of
alcohol-infused fatal crashes. Not surprisingly, the decision to get behind the
wheel while intoxicated is made most often at night and on the weekends.
Alcohol is also a factor in half of pedestrian traffic deaths - both drivers
and pedestrians are the culprits. SOURCE : MSN cars
