Most adults get their driver’s licenses. They understand that if they don’t have that license, it can make their lives difficult. They won’t have a car they can drive to the grocery store to grab some supplies. They can’t drive their kids to school or pick them up afterward.
When you get your license, you might also feel a sense of freedom. You can drive anywhere, anytime you like. You can take a road trip if you ever feel you want a change of pace.
You should avoid dangerous driving behaviors, though. We’ll talk about some of the worst ones that you should definitely avoid right now.
Brake Checking
Marzzacco Injury Law states that “brake checking frequently happens when drivers become aggressive or get impatient.” You might not know what we mean when we use this term, though.
Brake checking means that you slam on the brakes when there is a car right behind you. If you feel that there’s a car tailgating you, meaning it’s riding your back bumper, you might brake check them to make them back off.
If you do that, the driver behind you might not stop in time. They may hit your rear bumper, causing a fender bender. If that happens, then you might hurt yourself and the other driver as well. You must also file a car accident report with your insurance company, and that’s no fun.
If there’s another car riding your bumper, the driver shouldn’t do that, but brake checking them is not the answer. Try to get over into the other lane so they can pass you. If you can’t do that, you must wait till they can go around you.
Tailgating
You should also not tailgate a car in front of you. If they brake check you, whether accidentally or on purpose, you can hit their rear bumper and hurt yourself. You will damage your vehicle as well.
If you attend driving school, you will likely learn that you should keep at least one vehicle length between yourself and the car ahead of you. If you drive closer than that, it’s tailgating. You shouldn’t do that because you’re not leaving enough room between you.
If you feel the car ahead isn’t driving fast enough, you can go around them. Wait till you can do that safely, and then initiate the maneuver.
Speeding
Many drivers like speeding. It can feel good. You might get out on the highway without cars around you and feel you should test your vehicle’s speed. You know it can go pretty fast, but you’ve never tested its limits.
If you speed, you can’t stop as easily. If an animal runs across the road or you encounter a sudden traffic slowdown, you might not stop in time, and you can cause an accident.
You should stick to the speed limit. If you exceed it by five miles per hour on the highway, you might not cause any problems but know that the police can still ticket you if they feel the need. Any time you go over the speed limit, even a little, you’re risking a ticket or even a license suspension.
You should also not speed when on local roads or in quiet neighborhoods. Nobody likes hearing cars flying by their house at top speed, especially if they have kids that play on that street. You will never forgive yourself if you hit a child or someone’s beloved pet.
Drunk Driving
Drunk driving remains a serious problem all across the country. Drunk drivers kill people every day. They kill themselves as well.
If you drink and drive, you won’t have very good reflexes. Some people feel like they can still drive well if they drink. Even if that’s true, if the police pull you over, and they give you a breathalyzer, they can arrest you.
If that happens, a judge can take your license. They might suspend it, or they may take it away permanently. They may give you a fine and community service as well.
If you drink, then you should stay home. If you need some food, someone can deliver it. If you have any other errands, they can wait until later.
If you drink at a bar or a friend’s house, you can leave your car there and call for an Uber. You can call a taxi. You might have a sober buddy give you a ride home instead.
If you follow these rules, you will know that you’re not endangering anyone who’s on the road. You’re also not risking seriously messing your life up from one bad decision.
Road Rage
Road rage incidents, much like drunk driving, happen far too often these days. You might feel angry sometimes. That’s natural. Everyone feels some anger or frustration from time to time. They’re common human emotions.
If you feel angry while driving and you take that aggression onto the road with you, you might cause an accident. Maybe you feel that someone cut you off in traffic. Whether they did or not, you should not chase after them, extend your middle finger, or do anything else that might cause a confrontation.
Instead, take a deep breath and remember you control your actions, not anyone else. Even if you feel some anger, you can count to ten and let it dissipate.
If you feel angry frequently, you can take other actions rather than taking it onto the roads with you when you drive. For instance, you might seek therapy. Maybe if you talk about what’s troubling you, you won’t cause a road rage incident that hurts yourself or someone else.
You might get a punching bag and set it up at home. You can punch and kick it when you feel some anger or frustration building up. That’s healthy, and plenty of people do it.
If you avoid the problematic driving behaviors we mentioned, you’ll keep yourself, your passengers, and everyone else on the road safe.
