If you’re new to California, you might feel a bit overwhelmed the first several times you drive somewhere. There are many lanes of traffic, and issues like lane-splitting (where motorcyclists may travel along the solid line between two lanes of traffic) can make driving in this state stressful. The more alert and cautious you are at the wheel, the less chance you have of being in a collision. On that note, there are several common errors drivers often make that you’ll want to avoid if you hope to arrive safely at your destination.
Even if you obey traffic laws and practice safe driving habits, you cannot control what another driver is doing. This is why there is always an inherent risk involved with motor vehicle travel. This is also why it’s important to know where to seek support if a collision occurs.
These driving mistakes often cause collision
Most drivers have made these errors at one time or another. However, just because they are common doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous. Each of these driving errors is avoidable, and each of them increases the risk of collision:
- Failing to yield a right-of-way at an intersection or merger point on the road
- Exceeding the posted speed limit or traveling at speeds unsafe for road conditions
- Visual, manual and cognitive distractions
- Driving under the influence of alcohol
It is likely that you are sharing the road with someone who is making one or more of these mistakes every time you head out on the highway. It’s not a matter of if they are there. It’s a matter of where they are in relation to your vehicle.
Eyes on the road and hands on the wheel
If you’re looking down at a GPS device, in the glovebox or at a scene on the roadside instead of at the road in front of your vehicle, you are dealing with visual distractions at the wheel. Lighting a cigarette, changing the radio station or reaching for an object inside your vehicle are manual distractions that place you at risk of a collision. If you’re thinking about a conversation you had earlier in the day or are using Bluetooth technology to attend a work meeting while you drive, you are cognitively distracted.
When you learned to drive, your instructor no doubt told you numerous times to keep your eyes on the road ahead and both hands on the steering wheel. This is good advice. If another driver is distracted, speeding, intoxicated or fails to yield the right-of-way, and you suffer injuries in a collision, you can ask the court to hold that driver accountable for his or her actions by ordering restitution for damages.