These Minor Driving Mistakes Are More Dangerous Than You Realize

The worst accidents, the ones that make the news, tend to result from the most egregious driving mistakes, such as driving at twice the speed limit or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  Of course, most drivers would never be reckless enough to do those things, but almost everyone gets in a collision at some point.  If your information comes exclusively from car accidents involving people you know, then the impression you get is that most car accidents result from improper lane changes or running a stop sign while driving at the appropriate speed for the road where the accident took place, the kind of things that police issue traffic citations for all the time.  Some other common driving mistakes, even though they seem harmless and rarely result in police pulling you over, can also increase the risk of a collision.  If you have been injured in a car accident arising from an apparently minor driving mistake, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.

Not Properly Adjusting Your Seat

If you are the only person who drives your car, you probably adjusted your driver’s seat to the perfect position long ago and have kept it there ever since; some cars even have a feature where multiple drivers can program their preferred seat positions into the car, and with the push of a button, the car will adjust back to their perfect position.  For everyone else, adjusting your seat after someone else has driven your car is a time-consuming task, and not everyone bothers to do it.  This is dangerous, though, especially if the seat is positioned for someone taller than you.  If the seat is too far back, it is hard to reach the gas and brake pedals, and if it is too low, it is hard to see all the parts of the road that you need to see.

Not Wearing Suitable Footwear

Walking in different shoes feels different, and so does driving in different shoes.  The accelerator and brake pedal can respond to any kind of shoe, but don’t drive barefoot.  If you do, you will naturally press the gas pedal and brake pedal harder than you need to, leading to excessive speed and sharp stops.

Using Earbuds or Other Wireless Earpieces

By now, the advice that you should not use cell phones while driving is out of date; cell phones help us navigate to our destinations and call for help if there is a problem.  In fact, cars today are built to accommodate cell phones.  If your car can connect your phone to its audio system, you should use that.  Wireless earpieces such as earbuds create an unnecessary distraction, even when you only wear one of them.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you get a fair insurance settlement after an accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Sources:

msn.com/en-us/money/other/12-things-to-never-do-while-driving/ar-AA1ot8WK?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ACTS&cvid=4116fcbc143543069e27a8f1bef763bd&ei=58