We all know how bad habits can impact our quality of life. Whether it’s staying up too late or not drinking enough water. Bad habits can even impact our safety while driving. While hydration may not impact our driving, other bad habits can lead to dangerous and even deadly consequences. Here, we will discuss bad driving habits and how to break them.
We hope the below discussion sheds light on your bad driving habits. If a driver injures you in a Las Vegas area car accident, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer will help to protect your rights and ensure you receive maximum compensation.
Time is of the essence when pursuing compensation in car accident cases. Don’t delay—have our Las Vegas accident lawyers review your case. Sometimes people avoid contacting an accident lawyer because they worry about cost. You don’t have to worry about affordability. Our attorneys don’t get paid unless they win your case. Contact Anthem Injury Lawyers to make an appointment for a free consultation.
Bad Driving Habit – Looking at Your Phone While Driving
Distracted driving is anything that takes your attention away from that task of safe driving. Looking at your phone is one of the top forms of distracted driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
- In 2020, 3,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
Break the Habit
Breaking the habit is easier said than done when it comes to looking at your phone while driving. Our phones are highly addictive.
When you have trouble breaking a habit, sometimes it is necessary to remove the temptation. If you find yourself frequently reaching down for your phone or constantly looking at your phone while driving, then it might be time to remove the phone from your driving area. Store your phone so it is out of reach while you are driving. Before you get behind the wheel, find a safe place for your phone such as the glove compartment, the backseat, or the trunk. Just make sure that you don’t reach back for the phone while you are driving.
You may not have to store the phone out of reach forever. Just long enough to break the habit of looking at your phone while driving.
If you are injured by a distracted driver, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. A personal injury lawyer can help you protect your rights and navigate the complications that come with a distracted driving accident. Contact Anthem Injury Lawyers at (702) 857-6000 to make an appointment for a free consultation.
Bad Driving Habit – Not Buckling Up
It is easy to forget to put on a seat belt when you get behind the wheel. Or to neglect to put on your seat belt when you are just going for a quick trip to the store or gas station. However, not buckling up can cost you your life. In Nevada, 22 percent of the car accident fatalities are unbelted. Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash.
Break the Habit
Sometimes it is easier to stop doing something (reaching for your phone) than it is to start doing something (buckling up). So how do you break the habit of not buckling up? You are going to have to find something that works for you. Below are a few suggestions.
- Listen – The first tip to break the habit of not buckling up is to listen. Most vehicles these days beep and warn you when you are not using your seat belt. Listen and heed the warning.
- Remind yourself – Leave a written reminder on the steering wheel so you see it every time you get behind the wheel.
- Make a new habit – Replace your bad habit with a good habit. Make your seat belt part of your pre-driving routine. Do not start the vehicle or take off your emergency break until your seat belt is on.
- Keep it fun – Safety can be fun. If you ride with passengers (especially young children) make buckling up a contest. See who can buckle up first before every ride.
Bad Driving Habit – Speeding
It seems like every vehicle in Las Vegas is speeding and it can be tempting to put the pedal to the metal just to keep up. You may even find that you are unintentionally speeding when driving with the flow of traffic. Unfortunately, in Nevada speed accounts for nearly one-third of all traffic deaths.
Break the Habit
There are countless reasons that drivers speed. Sometimes it is due to inattention. Other times it is by choice. The best way to break the habit is to be conscious of the problem. Pay attention to speed limit signs and make a choice not to speed. If you have a habit of putting your pedal to the medal then use your cruise control to keep your vehicle at a reasonable and safe speed.
Bad Driving Habit – Rolling Through Intersections
One of the worse driving habits is rolling through intersections instead of coming to a complete stop. Intersections are one of the most dangerous places you can be as a driver or a pedestrian. In Nevada, in the past five years:
- More than 2,000 were injured in intersection related crashes.
- Additionally, 495 people lost their lives in intersection related crashes.
Break the Habit
It may take time and practice to fully break the bad driving habit of rolling through intersections. Start by paying attention and coming to a full stop whenever you see red. This includes red lights and stop signs. Focus on making a full stop with your vehicle. Once you have come to a full stop at stop signs, look both ways before proceeding. Focusing on stopping on red instead of going at every intersection can help you break the habit of rolling through the intersection.
Bad Driving Habit – Not Using Your Turn Signal
Using your turn signal lets other drivers and pedestrians anticipate where your vehicle is going to travel. It is important for safe driving. Using your turn signal also ensures that you are planning your moves with your vehicle. Drivers who don’t use their turn signal put everyone at risk.
Break the Habit
The safe driving choice is to replace the bad driving habit of not using your turn signal with the good driving habit of using your turn signal. But how do you do this? One of the first ways to make using your turn signal a habit is by overusing your turn signal. Start in parking lots and parking garages or anywhere there are a lot of turns. Overuse your turn signal in these areas. Using your turn signal for these turns will start to build the habit of using your turn signal before all turns.
EXPERIENCED LAS VEGAS PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS
We hope the above tips help you break some of your bad driving habits. If a driver injures you in a Las Vegas area accident, you should speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer. Some people wonder why they need a personal injury lawyer to help them. A personal injury lawyer will work aggressively to protect your rights and help you receive maximum compensation for your injuries.
Your choice of an accident lawyer is one of the most consequential decisions you will ever make. It’s important to select a Las Vegas attorney that can put you in the best position to win your case. That’s why you need to speak with Anthem Injury Lawyers. Our experts offer you the best opportunity to win top compensation. Contact Anthem Injury Lawyers today at (702) 857-6000 to make an appointment for a free consultation.
Last updated Sunday, March 10th, 2024