Reckless driving happens all the time. If you’re on the road a lot, you probably see people around you driving recklessly. You might even do it yourself occasionally.
Some people don’t necessarily realize they’re driving recklessly. Some know it but simply don’t care.
The police and courts hold negligent drivers accountable, though. Once you learn how your life can change instantly if you do it, you will know that you must stop the behaviors we’ll mention in this article.
Talking on Smartphones While Driving
People carry their phones everywhere these days. You rarely see someone out and about who does not have a smartphone on them somewhere. Maybe it is in a purse or their pocket.
If you have your smartphone with you while you’re driving, you should never answer if it rings when you’re behind the wheel. You should also never initiate a call.
If you answer the phone or initiate a call while driving, you might have the phone in one hand while steering with the other. That’s unsafe. Even if you put the phone on speaker and put it down so you can keep both hands on the wheel, you’re still distracted.
If you turn off your phone or mute it while driving, that’s for the best. You can make or receive phone calls when you reach your destination or pull off the road and turn off the vehicle.
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Texting While Driving
Even if you don’t talk on the phone while driving, maybe you text. That’s just as bad. You’re likely taking one or both hands off the wheel if you do so.
If you text while driving, you’re taking your eyes off the road. You won’t have very good reaction time if a car beside you changes lanes or someone crosses the street in front of you unexpectedly.
Traffic situations change all the time, and you can’t have speedy reaction time if you’re texting. Even if you have a newer car model where you can talk to text, you should avoid that unless there’s an emergency. Even talk to text where you don’t use your hands can distract you.
Eating or Drinking
Some people love getting food from drive-through windows. They certainly have a convenience factor that you may enjoy. You can grab a burger, a drink, or some other tasty treat without ever leaving your car.
Maybe you’re hungry, and you don’t think you should wait till you get home till you unwrap your burger or whatever other food item you have. If you let that food distract you, though, that’s reckless driving.
Even grabbing your drink and taking a sip can distract you momentarily. Maybe you won’t cause an accident, but just that slight distraction can sometimes cause one. If a vehicle near you does something unexpectedly, you might not have the fast reaction time you need if you’re dipping McNuggets in sauce at that particular moment.
Speeding
Reckless driving certainly includes speeding, and it happens all the time. Maybe you’re a speed demon, and you love pushing your car’s limits. Just because it says it can hit 140 miles per hour, though, that does not mean you should ever drive that fast.
If you speed, you can’t stop so easily. If an animal runs across the road or traffic ahead of you suddenly stops, maybe you can’t slow down in time.
If you speed, you can cause a crash if you lose control. Also, if you hit a pedestrian, cyclist, or someone’s pet, you’ll never forgive yourself.
Drunk Driving
If you drink and drive, that’s certainly reckless. Maybe you feel like you can drive drunk, and it won’t impact your abilities.
Perhaps you’re right. If the police pull you over for any reason, though, they can give you a breathalyzer, and if you fail, they can take your license. You might pay a fine or even face some jail time.
Also, many people drive more recklessly after they drink. They speed, or they try making it through yellow lights even after they turn red. If you drink, you might not make the best driving decisions.
Now you know all about reckless driving, and you should avoid all these behaviors. You can probably think of other ones that you should avoid as well.
Any time you drive, you must behave responsibly. You’re behind the wheel of a large, heavy machine, and you can cause untold damage if you don’t understand your actions have consequences.
