Risky driving is dangerous because it leads to auto accidents. As a auto body shop near Bridgewater, we see the outcomes of risky driving. These are often the most heartbreaking sight, as it may be that someone lost their life or was severely injured in the accident.
Luckily, risky driving is avoidable. You can make simple choices to make your own driving safer – and also to help keep you more aware of and responsive to other driver’s behaviors on the road. Here’s what you need to know:
#1 Cause of Risky Driving: Alcohol
Drinking alcohol significantly impairs your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that you wait one hour for every drink you’ve had before you drive. This means if you have 2 glasses of wine, don’t drive for two hours. There’s obviously some individual variation due to a person’s height, weight, and tolerance for alcohol, but to keep the risk of driving down you want to be absolutely sober when you get behind the wheel.
#2 Cause of Risky Driving: Drugs – Recreational, Prescription and Over the Counter
Even though recreational marijuana is now legal in Massachusetts, you don’t want to be high behind the wheel. Recreational, prescription, and over the counter medications can potentially negatively impact your ability to operate a vehicle safely. Pay attention to all warning labels on any prescription medications you are taking. Be aware that the side effects of some medication can intensify when they are combined with other prescription, over the counter, and herbal medicines. Minimize risk by driving only when your abilities are unimpaired by drugs.
#3: Cause of Risky Driving: Distractions
Checking the phone may feel like it takes only a second, but in real life, reading and responding to a text can take between 5-8 seconds. And that’s not even considering the fact that your emotions and focus can be impacted by what you’re reading and replying. During this time, your attention may not be on what other drivers are doing, if animal or children are entering the roadway, or how close the guardrails are. Distracted driving leads to many accidents. For your safety, let the texting wait until you’re not driving. And cell phones are hardly the only distraction drivers struggle with. To keep yourself safe, please do not do any of the following while driving your car: applying makeup, reading the newspaper, knitting, placing sports bets, use a plug-in diagnostic tool to determine why your car is making that noise, or plot with two small mice about how you will eventually take over the world.
Too late to prevent the risky driving? Here’s the best auto body shop in Bridgewater.
