There are a wide variety of dangerous driving habits that many drivers consider to be common. Bad driving habits often lead to car accidents, resulting in thousands of shillings being spent on repairs, fines, and increased auto insurance premiums not to mention the monumental waste of time on everybody’s part. This is why it is important to know all the habits that may cause you to get into an easily avoidable accident.

Some of the most common risky road habits include: 

  • Distracted driving – You could be using your cellphone, singing along to a song on th radio, doing your make up or reading something, This distractions take your eyes away from the road, your hands away from the steering wheel, and your mind away from the main task of driving, causing you to have a delayed response to any unexpected traffic situations.

  • Tailgating – This is when one driver follows another driver too closely behind and is a common cause of rear-end collisions. If you are tailgating the driver ahead of you and he or she abruptly stops, you will not have enough space or time to brake without crashing into him or her.  Tailgating can lead to car accidents and it can lead to intentional vindictive actions, like brake checking.

  • Speeding – A lot of drivers tend to drive over the speed limit which is not advisable and is one of the biggest reasons car accidents happen.

  • Rushing yellow lights – Many drivers see a yellow light and start driving like they are fleeing the cops. Not only are you breaking the law if the light becomes red, you are also creating a dangerous situation for cross traffic.
  • Not using turn signals – Turn signals let the cars behind you know your next move. Changing lanes or turning without signaling throws others off, and it could put you in harm’s way. The worst is when drivers slow down to turn without putting their blinker on: this can catch the cars behind them off guard, and the offending individual could get rear-ended. Failing to use your turn signals can lead to a crash.
  • Reckless driving – Whether it is ignoring traffic signals or cutting off other drivers, reckless driving behavior can lead to both traffic tickets and accidents. Weaving between lanes without regard for others is downright hazardous. You run the risk of being hit from behind if the driver you’re cutting off isn’t paying attention, and if you’re going too fast and squeezing between two cars, you could end up slamming into the car ahead of you.