Seven Bad Driving Habits That May Also Be Illegal

Seven Bad Driving Habits

This Seven Bad Driving Habits That May Also Be Illegal article (edited) was produced by the good folks at Geico:

Let’s face it: Driver’s Ed was a while ago. Over the years, our perfect double-handed grip on the steering wheel may have slipped a little; perhaps other bad habits have crept in as well.

And whether we realize it or not, some of those habits may be illegal.

It’s true that traffic laws can be confusing. They can vary by state, and even by municipality. A violation in one place -- say, turning right on red in New York City -- can be perfectly legal just over the city border.

The evolution of our traffic laws can also be a source of confusion. As the use of mobile phones has spread, for example, safety experts have recognized their role in distracting drivers, and states are adopting laws to combat the problem. Those laws are still developing. While most states have outlawed texting while driving, some have made it illegal to use a phone at all while driving, although others have barred it only for younger drivers.

Still, when it comes to driving, the patchwork quilt of traffic laws should take a back seat to safety. Here are seven habits to change today.

1. Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving

It may be difficult to ignore the ping of an incoming text message, but it’s essential to keep your eyes on the road. With distracted driving becoming an increasingly important issue, expect more states to crack down on any use of a mobile phone. In fact, Washington State just did so in an innovative way with its new DUIE (Driving Under the Influence of Electronics) regulation. But regardless of where you are, put that phone in airplane mode before you hit the gas.

2. Driving With Headphones On

Listening to music on your car radio can be distracting enough. But with headphones at your ears, you may be shutting out important noises -- like car horns, railroad-crossing alarms or emergency vehicle sirens -- as well as breaking the law in some states.

3. Tailgating

Following a car too closely can happen when a driver isn’t paying close enough attention to the surrounding traffic. It can also result in a ticket. The space you should leave depends on your speed and the local conditions (e.g., a traffic jam or rain storm); try to keep what’s generally referred to as a “reasonable and prudent” distance from other cars.

4. Changing Lanes Without Signaling

In heavy traffic, using your blinker to signal a lane change is a necessity; without it, other drivers won’t know your intention. When traffic is light, though, it’s easier to be lazy about turning it on. You may or may not be pulled over for this infraction, but good habits begin with good communication, regardless of conditions or laws.

5. Speeding

You’re running late and traffic is light.  You could shave a couple of minutes off your travel time if you speed up, right? Not so fast. High speeds make a crash more likely, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, since it takes longer to stop or slow down. Statistics prove the point: In 2015, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 27 percent of all crash fatalities -- more than 9,000 deaths -- were related to speed. That appointment you’re late for can wait. Abide by the speed limit.

6. Not Having Your Headlights On

Obviously you need headlights for nighttime driving, but you may not always think to pop them on at dusk or in bad weather. Just remember to over-communicate while driving, and in this case, headlights advertise your presence as well as help you navigate. Laws vary on when to use headlights, but if there’s any question, don’t hesitate: It’s as easy as flipping a switch.

7. Not Wearing a Seat Belt

While clicking a seat belt is pretty standard practice for most drivers (more than 90% of us use one, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA]) at least 27 million Americans still don’t buckle up. Yet seat belts saved almost 14,000 lives in 2015 alone. And of course, “click it or ticket” is a familiar phrase for a reason. So don’t neglect the seat belt.  It’s important, even if you’re just driving around the corner.

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The Young Texting Criminals Are Getting Worse...Much Worse

Is someone who sends text messages while driving a criminal?

Absolutely.

If you want to call someone who drinks and drives a criminal, then you must agree that the texting fools are just as guilty.

Had to run a bunch of errands this morning. Bank, surgical center, supermarket, etc. Between 9:30am and 12:10pm, I encountered no fewer than seven (7) individuals text messaging while driving. What did these individuals look like, you ask? You may not believe it, but they were ALL young (likely younger than 21) women. Every one. Five out of the seven looked younger than 17.

Not trying to insult anybody. Just telling it like I saw it.

What's shocking (to me, anyway) is the attitude these kids have.

While slowly making a turn into a Wal-Mart parking space, I was cutoff by a driver who was very cheerfully text messaging. She missed my car by inches and at no point acknowledged her bad driving. I gave up the parking space and followed her to until she parked. I honked, and when she rolled down her window, I let her know that she almost clipped me when she was thumbing keys on her phone (by this time she was talking on the phone, not texting.) She looked and me like I was completely mad, then left her car and made her way to Wal-Mart, still chatting on the phone, of course. I told her, in a very loud but not screaming voice, that I was going to take a picture of her license plate, and let the cops know about her crime. She was unfazed.

When I honked at another texting youngster near my house, she waved to me...with her middle finger.

When I was young, I used to quietly laugh to myself at how my dad would deal with bad drivers. Of course, there was no texting back then, but when he would get cutoff, he would pull up next to the offending car, cross his arms then shoot an extremely stern glare at the driver. I would quietly chuckle to myself, "Yeah dad...you really showed him."

My dad's response: Not good enough for today's smartphone world.

I would love to post offending license plates right here on the blog, along with a pic of the driver. But I'm sure if that's legal (please post any insight on this in the comments below, if you have any. Thanks!)

The law needs to catch up with the smartphones age we live in. In too many states, the punishment for getting caught texting behind the wheel is tantamount to a slap on the wrist. In most cases, it's essentially the same punishment as getting caught doing 40MPH in a 25MPH zone. Soooooooo weak.

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