Do You Suffer From These Five Bad Driving Habits?

Do You Suffer From These Five Bad Driving Habits?

We all do things while driving that we know are dangerous. Some of us talk on our phone, while some of us prefer to use a rolling stop. These are examples of bad driving habits. Bad driving habits are dangerous. But just like any bad habit, they can be broken. Below we will go over five bad driving habits, and how to break them. Remember it is never too late to turn a bad habit into a good habit.

If another driver injures you, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer will help to protect your rights and ensure you receive maximum compensation. Anthem Injury Lawyers has a dedicated team of lawyers and staff ready to help you with your car accident case. Insurance companies are not motivated to pay you significant compensation. You need an experienced Las Vegas car accident lawyer to fight for your rights. Our car accident lawyers offer decades of experience, which will position you to receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Call Anthem Injury Lawyers now. Contact us at (702) 857-6000 to make an appointment for a free consultation.

For a free legal consultation, call (702) 857-6000

What Are Five Bad Driving Habits?

Below we will go over the following five bad driving habits:

1. Using your phone
2. Not wearing a seat belt
3. Speeding
4. Not stopping on red
5. Driving while parenting

We will also provide ideas on how to break these five bad driving habits. Remember, these are not the only bad driving habits that you can have. If you don’t see your bad driving habit on the list, try to think of your own ideas for how to break the habit.

1. Using Your Phone

Our phones can do almost everything. They play music, give directions, and keep us connected to family and friends. The phone is also a dangerous (and illegal) distraction. If you use your phone, you are more likely to take your hands, mind, and eyes off of the road. During a typical day, more than 700 people are injured in distracted driving crashes.

How can you break the habit of using your phone while driving? Try out the below tips:

• Keep your phone out of sight and reach. The easiest way to not use your phone is to keep it out of your sight and reach. You can put it in the trunk, glove box, or in the back seat. Just make sure you don’t reach for your phone while driving.
• Turn off your phone while driving.
• Use an app to lock your phone while driving.
• Plan ahead to limit distractions. Look up directions before you leave so you don’t have to look at your phone’s map. Create a playlist so you avoid shuffling through music while you drive.

2. Not Wearing a Seat Belt

If wearing a seat belt isn’t a habit for you, now is the time to change. Buckling up is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself in case of a crash. You should also make sure that any children in your vehicle are properly restrained. In Nevada, any child less than six years of age and weighing less than 60 pounds must ride in a federally-approved child restraint system.

How can you break the habit of not wearing a seat belt? Use the following tips:

• Make buckling up the first thing you do when you get into your vehicle. Do not put your vehicle into drive without first securing your seat belt. Use a sticky note as a reminder so it is the first thing you see before starting your vehicle. Place the sticky note over the radio or temperature control knobs so you see it.
• Let your passengers know that you are making it a habit to wear your seat belt. If you frequently ride with another person, they can help hold you accountable.
• If your vehicle has a seat belt warning system, use it to hold yourself accountable. Do not disable or ignore the warning system.
• Do not wait to put on your seat belt. Messing with your seat belt while driving is dangerous.

3. Speeding

Speeding is a habit that you may not even notice on the fast-moving roads in and around Las Vegas. Unfortunately, speeding is an illegal and deadly habit. In Nevada, speeding accounts for 33 percent of all fatalities. Speeding is a difficult habit to break. However, you are in control when you are behind the wheel. This means you can control how fast you choose to go.

The best way to break your habit is to figure out the reason that you speed. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you speed because you don’t pay attention to how fast you are going? Then use your cruise control and set it for the posted speed limit.
• Do you speed because you enjoy the rush or the thrill? Find a safer alternative. Perhaps you would enjoy go-kart racing.
• Do you speed because you are late? Recognize that timing and scheduling is an issue. When you estimate the time that you need to get to a destination, add 15 minutes. Use a trip planning application to help you schedule your travel time.
• Make driving a safe speed a priority. Encourage your passengers to speak up if you are going over the posted speed limit.

4. Not Stopping on Red

Many of us have bad habits around stop signs and stoplights. Too often we speed through stoplights and roll through stop signs. This can result in expensive traffic tickets and deadly accidents. In Nevada, drivers are required to stop when approaching a stop sign or steady red signal.

How can you break the bad habit of not stopping on red? It depends on what you are failing to do, or not do, when you see red. Consider the following:

• If you roll through stop signs, give yourself time to actually stop. Create a stop sign checklist that you complete before you proceed through any intersection with a stop sign. The checklist can be simple. It may include waiting until you feel the slight bounce-back at the stop sign before you look in both directions. Doing so ensures that your vehicle is no longer moving before you proceed through the intersection.
• If you run red lights, avoid entering the intersection when the red signal is exhibited. Use caution when you see a yellow light and err on the side of stopping your vehicle. Do not speed up your vehicle at a yellow light.

5. Driving While Parenting

As a parent you can be overwhelmed with children in the car and it can be tempting to give them your full attention. If you are in the driver’s seat, you should be focusing on the road. Driving while parenting is distracted driving and is extremely dangerous.

Make driving a priority and have a plan before you get behind the wheel with young children. Use the following tips to break the habit of driving while parenting:

• Talk to your children. Establish ground rules before your start driving. Explain to your children that driving requires focus.
• Ensure that your children are properly restrained in their car seat.
• Give your kids something to do while you are driving. If they are distracted, then they will be less likely to distract you.
• Pull over (safely) if necessary. If the kids are misbehaving or need your assistance, then safely pull the car over. Pulling over gives you the opportunity to address their needs without engaging in unsafe driving behaviors.
• Remember, it is okay to sometimes ignore your children if they are safe. If your children are safe and simply distracting you, then it is okay to ignore them and focus on the road. This applies to their requests for dropped items or special songs.
• If your child drops something in the back seat, resist the temptation to pick it up. Let them know the consequence ahead of time. Tell them if they drop an item, you will not be able to pick it up until you get to your destination.
• Reward good behavior. Discuss proper passenger behavior before you leave. Set up a reward system to encourage good passenger behavior.

We hope the above tips help you break these five bad driving habits. If another driver injures you, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. Remember that insurance companies won’t take your side when it comes to you receiving top compensation for your injuries. You need an experienced car accident lawyer to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

EXPERIENCED LAS VEGAS PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS

The law firm of Anthem Injury Lawyers understands that even the most cautious driver can be injured in a car accident. If another driver has injured you, it’s important that you seek experienced legal representation. Our car accident lawyers serve the Las Vegas area with the knowledge and expertise to help you gain maximum compensation for your injuries.

When we say we offer the experience you need, we mean over 25 years of experience. Award-winning Anthem Injury Lawyers specializes in personal injury claims. If you cannot visit our Las Vegas area office, we can come to you to discuss your car accident case. Don’t wait, as putting off meeting with your lawyer can delay, and often keep you from receiving, the compensation you are entitled to as an accident victim. Now is the best time to schedule your appointment with us to discuss the details about your Las Vegas area car accident. There is no obligation. Have our car accident lawyers examine the facts and learn about your case. See why our Las Vegas lawyers give you the best opportunity to win significant compensation. Call our personal injury lawyers now at (702) 857-6000 to make an appointment for a free consultation.

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