You owe other motorists and road users a duty of care by practicing safe driving habits whenever you get behind the wheel. Given that most accidents arise from human error, it is necessary to be aware of negligent driving habits that you ought to avoid.
What exactly does negligent driving look like? Here are four common examples:
Drunk driving
Driving while drunk is a major cause of road accidents, and despite it being a criminal offense, people still hit the road with alcohol levels beyond the legal limit. Drugs reduce your reaction time and negatively affect your concentration span, which is likely to cause a crash.
Distracted driving
Distractions include anything that takes your attention off the road, and it takes three forms:
- Visual distraction where you take your eyes of the road
- Manual distraction involves losing mechanical control of your vehicle, like when you take your hands off the steering wheel.
- Cognitive distractions occur where your mind is completely off the task at hand – driving. Texting while driving is probably the most obvious road distraction, but it is as important to be mentally present when on the road.
Driving with a known medical condition
If you are not medically fit to be on the road, driving would be negligent behavior. For example, you shouldn’t drive on certain medications or combinations of medications, right after surgery or times when you feel ill.
Driving an unroadworthy vehicle
Being on the road with an unroadworthy vehicle or one with an apparent malfunction may be regarded as negligent behavior. As stated, you owe everyone using the road a reasonable degree of care, and driving with, say, malfunctioning brakes puts others at risk.
The list is endless, and if you or your loved one suffered injuries caused by a negligent driver, it is in your best interests to know what entails negligence to ensure justice is served.