Most drivers like to consider themselves as being a “good driver”. However, they might be surprised at some of the mistakes they make when stepping back to take a closer look at their driving habits. In order to find out where your driving capabilities rank, answer the following questions honestly.
- Are you frequently using your phone in any way while behind the wheel?
- Do you commonly find yourself driving without knowing what the speed limit is?
- When you are aware of the speed limit, are you exceeding it most of your time driving?
- Do you yell at other drivers, or make obscene gestures towards them?
- Do you turn or change lanes without using your turn signal?
- Do you speed up when faced with a yellow light at an intersection?
- When you are in the passing lane, are you often passed by vehicles to the right?
- Do you switch lanes while turning in an intersection?
Here is your grade depending on how many times you answered yes.
- A = 0 times
- B = 1-2 times
- C = 3-4 times
- D = 5-6 times
- F = 7-8 times
All drivers make mistakes and there is no such thing as the perfect driver. However, if you answered yes to over half of these questions, you should give serious consideration to improving your driving habits. If you aren’t convinced, look at these driving statistics that correspond to each question.
- Cell phone use while driving leads to around 1.6 million crashes each year
- Speeding killed 9,717 people in 2017 accounting for more than 25% of all traffic fatalities.
- 30 murders annually are linked to road rage.
- Drivers who fail to use their turn signals account for as many as 2 million accidents annually.
- 700-800 fatalities are caused annually by drivers who have run a red light.
- Slowing down and changing lanes is more likely to cause a crash than speeding.
- 40% of all crashes involve intersections.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 94% of accidents are caused by driver error. Consider what you can due to lower that number and improve your driving safety.
