What are the six most unsafe driving behaviors? (2023)

The Paranoid Driver - explores the reality behind people's perceptions of their driving abilities.

As of 2018, more than 40,000 people have died in car crashes across the United States, a staggering result of a lack of comprehensive safety education and unsafe driving habits. In addition to increasing insurance premiums, dangerous driving behavior can be deadly.

However, if you ask the average person about their driving skills, they will probably boast that they drive carefully. In fact, people think their acumen is better than that of the average driver. But it can blind us to our own bad behavior on the road.

So how often do we overstate our commitment to road safety? Who drives more aggressively: men or women? Millennials or Baby Boomers?

To answer these and other questions,We analyzed 2017 Fatality Reporting System (FARS) data and linked it to a survey of more than 1,000 people based on questions from the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI), classifying them as "passive" or "aggressive" drivers.

Self-awareness: Can we trust our senses?

Most people think they are good drivers, but they actually exhibit bad driving patterns. When respondents were grouped by gender and age, more than 90 percent of all groups said they were safe drivers, but a closer look at their driving behavior reveals otherwise.

A significant percentage of survey participants experienced aggressive behavior while driving. Frustratingly, men are more likely than women to be involved in fatal crashes involving young drivers.While 92% of millennial men consider themselves safe drivers, younger men may be prone to dangerous driving, millennial men are more likely than other age groups and women to drive without a seat belt (24%) and receive a speeding ticket (22%).

On the bright side, one of the safest groups of drivers, boomer women, also consider themselves to be the best drivers. With the distraction of cell phones and less driving experience getting in the way of younger drivers, baby boomers are more likely to be good drivers and develop better driving habits.

It is a manifestation of one's observation of the world through subjective social reality, a term used to explain why we absolve ourselves of guilt or mistakes. The way we see things may not match reality, and may not even match how other people see the same thing. So when 39% of millennials say they run red lights, but 94% of women and 92% of men say they are good drivers, we have to question how fair we are driving.

Good drivers are not born overnight. Some people naturally enjoy driving, while others are more anxious or timid about driving. It will take time, in-depth study and practice to be successful on the road for years to come.

We found that drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident if they attempt to pass their driving test in less than 3 attempts. Obtaining a driver's license requires preparation for a written and practical test, which is necessary for acquiring safe driving habits. Emphasis on learning the rules of the road can make the test more important and can predict one's performance on the road.

Basics aside, one problem drivers face in the digital age is distracted driving, which many try to avoid with hands-free solutions like podcasts and audiobooks that keep both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.

Podcasts are becoming more and more popular because they offer a safer, no-touch alternative to other forms of distracted driving. However, they still have the ability to distract one's attention from a good story or plot. It's important to understand that distractions, even minor ones, are still distractions.

Which regions think they have the best drivers?

The majority of Southeast Europeans believe they are safe drivers, but six of the top 10 least safe countries are located south of the Mason-Dixon line. In fact, drivers in Mississippi and South Carolina were involved in the most fatal crashes.

Mississippi drivers are most likely to be distracted by in-car phones, and even teenage drivers in Mississippi have trouble moving. Teenagers die in traffic accidents at a rate 186 percent higher than the national average for all adult drivers.

Opinions aside, which areas are actually the safest?Drivers least likely to be involved in fatal crashes are concentrated in the Northeast, led by New Hampshire and Connecticut, according to FARS data: Even their UPS drivers lead the nation in safe driving.

Man, the younger generations are the most aggressive drivers

So far we've been thinking about how people perceive our driving skills and we've learned that we can give ourselves more credit than we really deserve. We then asked survey participants several questions to determine each person's score on the Dula Risky Driving Index, a measure of how likely someone is to drive aggressively.

Certain trends emerged when assigning percentiles to mean scores by generation and gender.We found that aggressive tendencies are consistently higher among millennial men and least aggressive among baby boomer women: When we categorized respondents as passive or aggressive drivers based on their raw scores, 47% of Millennials were rated as aggressive drivers, compared to Generation X and Baby Boomers who were 37% and 28%, respectively.

Additionally, 46 percent of men were aggressive drivers compared to 36 percent of women. Recent studies have shown that men are more likely to engage in and react to aggressive behavior while driving, while women tend to withdraw when experiencing road rage. They can often be more passive, which allows them to avoid dangerous road events.

Safer driving pays off, but careless driving costs money.We found that aggressive drivers pay $216 more per year for car insurance than passive drivers.our proposal? Slow down, respect the road and other drivers, and stay focused while driving.

Although players are unlikely to replicate the exact behavior in video games, research suggests that racing game fans may have risky driving habits.

How does driving style affect overall life expectancy?

Eliminating the frustrations of life on the road can haunt you even after you've locked your vehicle and driven away. Positive drivers are less satisfied with their life, health, finances and career than negative drivers.

Road rage is a chronic problem stemming from aggressive driving that can escalate conflict far beyond acceptable responses and has even been shown to increase the risk of heart disease and blood clots, among other health problems.

However, while passive drivers are more satisfied with their finances, they often make less money.Aggressive drivers earn $7,000 more per year than the most passive drivers, but are more likely to be heavily in debtResearchers have observed a link between narcissism and aggressive driving, suggesting that aggressive personalities can also be self-destructive.

Insurance is the best defense on the road

It is important to consider where you are on the road and in the world. It is impossible to tell who is the threat from what is seen through the driver's side window. For this, it is necessary to be a safe and aware driver.

Many of us think we are more skilled drivers than we really are, which is why drivers on the road are unaware of their risks.

Protecting yourself while you're on the road is paramount, so turn to a trusted source for all your insurance needs. Compare rates with Acceptance Insurance to get the best price on your home, vehicle, property insurance and more.

Methodology/Limitations

We surveyed a total of 1,001 drivers using Amazon Mechanical Turk. To be included in our data, respondents had to a) drive at least once a month during the past year, b) complete the entire survey, and c) pass an attention check during the survey. Participants who failed any of these points were excluded from the study.

Of all respondents, 52% were female, 48% were male, and less than 1% identified as non-binary. In terms of race/ethnicity, 77% of respondents were Caucasian; 8% were Asian; 7% were black or African American; 6% were Latino; 1% were multiracial/mixed race; less than 1% were American Indian or Alaska Native; less than 1% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Fifty-two percent of respondents were millennials (born between 1981 and 1997); 29 percent were Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980); and 18 percent were baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964). Generation Z (born between 1998 and 2017), the silent generation (born between 1928 and 1945) and the oldest generation (born between 1927 and earlier) were excluded from the study. The average age of the respondents was 40 years with a standard deviation of 12 years. The data has a 5 percent margin of error for Millennials, a 6 percent margin of error for Generation X, and a 7 percent margin of error for Baby Boomers.

In visualizations showing quantitative means, we removed outliers or used medians to make the data as accurate as possible.

In order to classify respondents as passive or aggressive drivers, we asked respondents questions related to "aggressive driving" from the Dula Risky Driving Index. We then added up the scores for each subject, with the lowest score being 0 and the highest being 28. We assigned the median score (4.95) a z-score of 0. Subjects with negative z-scores (below average) were considered "passive" drivers. , and those with positive z-scores (above average) were considered "active" drivers. Visualizations containing the most 'passive' and 'most aggressive' drivers are in the lower and upper quartiles of the normalized data, respectively. When presenting results by generation and gender, we converted the mean of the raw scores on a scale of 0 to 28 into percentiles relative to the complete data.

fair use statement

The worst driver you know could be your best friend, family member or even yourself. Share the results of this survey (and quote us when you do) to help your overconfident loved one see the light. However, please ensure that you only share these results for non-commercial purposes.

Dangerous driving and how to avoid it: three safety rules

Some irresponsible driving behaviors pose a greater threat to the safety of road users than others because they occur frequently and often have serious consequences. Be a safe and responsible driverYou must have a "zero tolerance" policy for dangerous driving.If you allow yourself to drive irresponsibly even once, it can have dire consequences.

1. Speeding
2. driving under the influence
3. distracted driving
4. reckless driving
5. ignore precedence rules
6. Ignore traffic signs and signals
7. Three safety rules

In addition to avoiding dangerous driving yourself, you must learn to spot the unsafe behavior of other drivers. When you recognize the risk such drivers pose, you can take preventive steps to reduce the risk by changing your speed, yielding the right of way, or changing your position on the road.

In the United States, the most common dangerous driving behaviors that lead to crashes are:

• Speeding
• driving under the influence of alcohol
• Distracted driving (including cell phone use and drowsy driving)
• Reckless or aggressive driving (including tailgating, unsafe lane changes, stop signs and failure to yield)

Speeding

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) classifies a crash as "speed-related" if at least one of the drivers involved in the crash exceeded the posted speed limit, was speeding under the circumstances, or was involved with another vehicle. Car racing.

It is important to note that speeding does not only refer to exceeding the set speed limit.You are technically speeding and can be ticketed for driving at any speed deemed "unsafe for current conditions", even if it is well below the posted limit.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speed-related crashes accounted for more than 25 percent of all road deaths in the United States in 2016.

Excessive speed increases the likelihood of a collision and increases the likely severity of the collision. In short, if you exceed the safe speed limit, you are more likely to be involved in an accident and therefore more likely to be killed or seriously injured.

Speeding is by far the most dangerous of all unsafe driving behaviors because the faster you drive:

• The less time you have to answer
• The less control you have over your vehicle
• It is more difficult for you to see the road around your vehicle
• The longer it takes to slow down and stop
• Seat belts, airbags and other safety devices will be less effective

All drivers should know that the faster they drive, the more dangerous they are.For every 10 mph increase in speed, you are twice as likely to have an accident that results in disfigurement, serious injury, or death.

How to deal with speeding

If you get caught speeding, the only way to think about it is to miss it. A driver who tries to stop or otherwise condemn speeding by honking or shouting will only irritate him and further increase the likelihood of an accident or collision.

driving under the influence

NHTSA reported that a total of 10,497 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in the United States in 2016. Disturbingly, that's an average of 1 drunk driving death every 50 minutes. Most of these incidents involved victims between the ages of 25 and 34.

In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, a person with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher cannot legally drive. Although this is the legal "cut-off point", do not assume that you can safely drive with a BAC of 0.07, 0.05 or with alcohol. Alcohol always impairs reflexes, senses and judgment in some way, so if you intend to drink, don't drive.

People under the influence of alcohol are:

• The reaction subsided.Alcohol is known to slow down reactions, even in relatively small amounts.
• Blurred vision.Alcohol slows down the work of the eye muscles and interferes with the normal movement of the eyes. Your dark vision and color perception may also be affected.
• It is not possible to estimate the distance.You will have a hard time determining where your vehicle is in relation to other vehicles, center lines, road signs and other objects.
• Bad focus.Alcohol can cause drowsiness, making it difficult to focus on complex tasks (or in extreme cases of intoxication, easy tasks!)
• Impaired judgment.Alcohol can impair a person's ability to make rational, safe decisions based on available information.
• Physical coordination is limited.Alcohol can impair the coordination of eyes, hands and feet and can prevent you from maintaining control of the vehicle.

How to deal with a DUI

You are more likely to encounter a drunk driver late at night, especially on weekends. If possible, avoid driving during these periods as it always puts you at greater risk. If you see a vehicle swerving, speeding or otherwise driving erratically on the road, the driver of the vehicle is probably intoxicated. Drunk drivers are especially dangerous because their impaired motor skills and limited ability to reason make them unpredictable. To protect yourself from drunk drivers, stay as far away from them as possible.

When the driver in question swerves out of the lane in front of you, increase your distance behind them and lean in as much as possible without impeding other traffic. If a suspected drunk driver is approaching from behind, slow down slightly and stay on course. The last thing you want is to accidentally drive in front of a drunk driver and surprise them. If you have time and space, stop and let other drivers pass you. If you have a cell phone, call the police.

distracted driving

"Distracted driving" is an umbrella term for any activity or situation that prevents a driver from concentrating on driving and monitoring the road environment. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), distracted driving may be a factor in up to 50 percent of motor vehicle accidents, even those attributed to other causes, such as speeding or drunk driving.

The most common causes of distracted driving are:

• Rubber neck.Drivers often take their eyes off the road to observe the scene of an accident. This is both unpleasant and dangerous! Rubber neck is said to be responsible for 16% of all driving accidents.
• Correspondence.The National Safety Council estimates that one in four traffic accidents in the United States is caused by texting while driving. Therefore, it is illegal in many states.
• go sightseeing.About 10 percent of all accidents involving distracted driving are caused by drivers looking at the scenery instead of focusing on their surroundings on the road.
• The driver is tired.Tired drivers are easily distracted by inconveniences or minor incidents near the road. Driver distraction related to fatigue accounts for 12 percent of distracted driving accidents.
• passenger.About 9 percent of fatal crashes are caused by other adults speaking or acting distracted or children in the back seat.

Even when driving in a relatively low-risk environment, it is imperative that you give your full attention to monitoring road conditions and driving your vehicle. It only takes a moment of distraction to miss a pedestrian crossing the street, a vehicle entering an intersection, or any other potential hazard that could lead to an accident. You only need to look at the numbers above to see how often this happens!

How to deal with a distracted driver

Unfortunately, there is little you can do to reduce the risk of driver distraction. If you are engrossed in your driving task, you may not even notice that a nearby driver is distracted. Protect yourself from distracted drivers by paying special attention in situations where other drivers are easily distracted. When approaching the scene of an accident, maintain a minimum speed and keep a close eye on the area around the vehicle - do not rush.

If you see that a collision is imminent and one or more of the drivers involved are unaware of the imminent threat, you can honk the horn once to warn them. Never honk your horn to flag down a distracted driver if they are not in immediate danger, as you will end up needlessly distracting all other drivers on the road.

reckless driving

"Reckless or aggressive driving" includes any dangerous or irresponsible behavior that a person intentionally engages in while driving. These include stopping, making unsafe lane changes, ignoring controllers and not yielding the right of way. The last two violations are by far the most common and often lead to collisions.

ignore precedence rules

Priority rules were introduced to prevent conflicts between drivers and other road users who want to occupy the same part of the road at approximately the same time. If you don't move at the right moment, there will almost certainly be a conflict. Unless you pay attention to the drivers you should be yielding to, your dangerous driving will likely result in a crash.

It's not just drivers who are affected by right-of-way violations. At intersections, pedestrians often collide with vehicles that do not give them the right of way.In 2016, "failure to yield" was identified as the leading cause of death for 29 percent of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents.

It is your responsibility to respect all road users and distribute the roads fairly, as dictated by traffic control devices and right-of-way rules. Under no circumstances should you ignore the priority rules, no matter how anxious you are to reach your destination. Going through your path will only give you a fraction of a second, and in the event of a collision, your journey could actually be significantly delayed.

How to deal with a driver who does not yield

If the other driver does not give way when they should, ask them to give way. Attempting to take the right of way will only increase the risk of a crash. Also, you only have the right of way if other drivers or road users give way. You are legally responsible if a collision occurs because of your refusal to yield.

Ignore traffic signs and signals

Drivers who do not respect traffic signs, signaling or other controls immediately put themselves and all other road users in danger. The two most dangerous violations in this category are running a red light and not stopping at a STOP sign. Crashes are also common when drivers ignore "wrong way" signs or signs posted around construction sites.

Regardless of whether the violation was intentional or negligent, the consequences are the same.In 2014, 13,627 vehicles were involved in accidents, the main cause of which was failure to obey STOP signs. A recent road safety report found that an average of two people die every day in accidents caused by running red lights.

Drivers must respect all signs, signaling and markings on the road. The only exception is when a traffic controller (such as a police officer or flag operator) directs you to take action in violation of a posted sign or signal. Remember, "not seeing" a sign or signal is no excuse for dangerous driving. It is your responsibility to pay attention to the road.

Remember that "passing" a stop sign is just as illegal and almost as dangerous as going straight past it without slowing down. You must come to a complete stop at every stop sign, otherwise other road users may get confused and react unsafely.

How to deal with drivers who ignore signs and signals

Unfortunately, drivers who do not respect posted signs or traffic lights are sometimes encountered, often by accident. The only way to stay safe in such situations is to be prepared. Never rely on other drivers to follow the rules. Before crossing an intersection, check traffic in all directions, regardless of whether you have the right-of-way. This allows you to avoid collisions by yielding instead of avoiding.

Three safety rules

While the risks we often face while driving are complex, the strategies we should use to mitigate them are simple. When it comes to dangerous driving that could put you or other road users in danger, remember these three golden rules:

1. You must obey the law at all times.
2. You have to watch the road.
3. When in doubt, quit.It's not your job to berate other drivers. If other drivers are breaking the rules, move as far away from them as possible if it is safe to do so.

Next, we'll take a closer look at a less well thought-out aspect of road safety and dangerous driving: traffic flow. All road users must take action to optimize traffic flow in all circumstances, as failure to do so increases the risk to all road users.

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How defensive driving can save lives: statistics and examples

The number of road deaths is increasing every year, with more than 40,000 deaths in 2021 alone. Things don't seem to be getting any better. It's like having more unsafe, careless drivers on the road. Now it's the turn of responsible drivers like you to make a difference.

Believe it or not, with just a few lessons, you can save lives in the future. Defensive driving courses teach basic driving skills and techniques to help you avoid crashes and accidents. After reading these road safety categories and statistics, you may want to start protecting yourself and those around you right away.

Leading causes of traffic accidents in the USA

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an average of 117 people will die on American roads every day in 2021. increased compared to previous years. Although each fall is unique, many factors are common.

In fact, 94% of accidents happen due to human error. In other words, drivers made errors of judgment, errors of perception, errors of performance, and errors of failure. In theory, this means there is a lot of room for improvement. We could have fewer deadly roads if all drivers addressed the root causes of the following accidents.

distracted driving

About 41% of accidents are caused by the driver's inattention on the road. Distracted driving comes in many forms. Either because the driver is texting (which is illegal in most states) or because he is lost in thought, he cannot react in time to a dangerous situation.

drive too fast

Speeding is another leading cause of accidents. Not all drivers respect posted speed limits, which can be dangerous. But even sticking to the legal speed limit can be fatal: bad weather can make the road dangerous and drivers must slow down (although many don't).

wrong assumptions about other people's behavior

Unfortunately, you can't expect all drivers to be careful and follow best driving practice. For example, if a driver does not use a turn signal, it does not mean that he will not turn. If you don't expect it, you can crash. This, combined with speeding, accounted for 33% of accidents.

driving fatigue

Drowsy drivers will account for 7 percent of all crashes on American roads by 2021. An estimated 633 people died as a result. As you can see, drowsy driving is no joke. It's actually similar to drunk driving because your reflexes aren't sharp enough to avoid a crash.

3 ways defensive driving can save lives

It is difficult to say exactly how many accidents occur each year in defensive driving courses. After all, who is going to monitor accidents that don't happen? However, when you consider that these lessons teach drivers to respect others and to be alert and cautious at all times, you can only imagine how many lives have been saved.

After taking a defensive driving course, these best practices will become almost second nature (both pedestrians and other drivers will thank you):

• Slow down in bad weather: Speed ​​limits only apply in normal driving conditions. If the weather is bad, slow down. For example, slow down during heavy rain to avoid skidding.
• For children, look under and around parked cars: children are small (oh!) and it's easy to duck behind the car and run across the road. As a safe driver, it is your responsibility to ensure that no child is in danger of being run over. Be especially aware of parked cars (and children who may be sitting behind them) around schools and in residential areas.
• No right-of-way if it's not safe: You may have the right-of-way at an intersection, but if an aggressive driver decides to turn first, you could get hurt. That's why defensive driving teaches you to put everyone's safety first, even if it means pulling over when you're right.

Every skill in safe driving makes a difference

Now that you see the true value of defensive driving, are you ready to start saving lives? We make your life easier. I Drive Safely defensive driving lessons allow you to teach from the comfort of your own home. The best part? You can learn at your own pace - no need to struggle to fit lessons into your busy schedule.