Personal Injury Attorneys » Car Accident Attorneys » Does the Way You Drive Increase Your Risk for an Accident?
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    Most Las Vegas drivers have experienced a close call on the road at least once in their driving history. Whether it’s just narrowly avoiding a potentially serious accident, averting a sideswipe, or evading a dangerous driver, the roads in Las Vegas can be perilous.

    Although some of these situations are a result of a growing population in the city leading to more traffic on the roadways, many times, they are merely the result of how people are driving. If you’ve been in a crash, it’s likely you have spoken with your car accident attorney about whether the way someone drives increases their risk of an accident. Here’s more information about how the way you drive may increase your chances of being in a car crash.

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    Most Drivers Are Safe Drivers

    Just like most people are law-abiding, most people also drive carefully on the road. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that only three percent of drivers on the road have ever gotten a drunk driving conviction. Also, a large number of drunk driving arrests involve repeat offenders.

    All of that means that only a small amount of people behave dangerously on the road. Most people are cautious, safe drivers, but there’s a small number of people who are responsible for creating danger on the road. In addition to causing danger by drunk driving, there are several other ways that careless and reckless driving increases your risk of an accident in Las Vegas.

    Speeding

    Speed limits are based on the road’s design and the typical flow of traffic on the road. When you speed, you’re behaving in a way that’s different than those around you. Others can’t anticipate your behavior, and they don’t have the time to react that they would have if you drove the speed limit.

    When you’re speeding, your abilities to navigate corners and other features of the road are reduced. In addition to making a crash more likely to occur, speeding also makes the impact of a collision more serious for everyone involved.

    Driving Too Slowly

    Just like speeding can increase the chances that you’ll be in a crash, driving too slowly can also be a problem. Similar to speeding, driving too slowly makes you out of place on the roads. Drivers may not be prepared for a slow-moving vehicle.

    They may not be able to adjust their path of travel when they notice your slow speed. Driving too slowly puts you at risk for being rear-ended or sideswiped. Your best bet is to travel cautiously within the speed limit and the flow of other traffic on the road.

    Running a Red Light

    Running a red light can result in a severe crash. A red light violation can create a side-impact accident that results in serious injuries. Nevada traffic lights exist to keep drivers safe, but they only work when drivers obey them. Nevada law says that if the traffic signal is yellow, you may not proceed into the intersection.

    Too many drivers either ignore the rule and enter the intersection when the light is yellow, or they proceed through the intersection when it’s red. Either way, drivers in other lanes aren’t expecting other drivers to disobey traffic lights. Running a red light can increase your odds of a crash.

    Distracted Driving

    Distracted driving is problematic because it reduces your reaction time. When you’re looking down at your phone, or you’re distracted by someone else in the vehicle, you may not notice something unusual on the roads as quickly as you would if you could focus on your driving. Distracted driving is hard to resist. However, distracted driving can result in crashes both large and small.

    Tailgating

    When you drive, you must leave enough following distance to stop for the vehicle in front of you. Even though you expect that vehicle to travel normally down the road, you never know when they might slam on their brakes for an animal or object in traffic.

    They might have a medical event and lose control of their vehicle. Alternatively, the driver in front of you might get into a crash with the car in front of them, and you want to avoid a pileup. Tailgating can increase your chances of hitting the vehicle in front of you on the road.

    Aggressive Driving and Road Rage

    Aggressive driving and road rage cause needless crashes and injuries on Nevada roads. Reckless driving increases danger for the driver and those around them.

    Even when drivers around you aren’t courteous, defensive driving is for your own safety. Even if someone else does the wrong thing, it’s important to wait, take a deep breath and then begin again. It’s not worth your safety to win an argument on the road.

    Driving While Tired

    With busy lives, it can be tempting to drive when you’re tired. Driving while you’re tired may keep you from being able to think clearly while you’re on the road. Your decision-making abilities may be reduced. When you drive tired, you also run the risk of traveling off the roadway.

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    Driving While High or Intoxicated

    Even though Nevada enjoys legal recreational marijuana, it’s still illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. People who drive while high or intoxicated have trouble diverting their attention when things happen on the road. Their ability to observe and react is reduced. Driving while high or drunk remains illegal because it greatly increases the chances of a traffic crash.

    How Can I Protect Myself?

    While you can’t control those around you, driving cautiously allows you to do everything that you can to reduce your chances of a traffic crash. Careful driving is essential for your safety as well as to keep you from getting a traffic ticket or facing charges of more serious offenses. All drivers on Nevada roads should be familiar with Nevada traffic laws and don’t forget to exercise common sense.

    How Can a Car Accident Lawyer Help Me?

    If you’re hurt because of the actions of others on the road, you may deserve compensation for your losses. All drivers have an obligation to drive safely on the roads. When a driver isn’t careful enough, and a crash occurs, the careless driver may owe you compensation for your medical bills, lost wagessuffering, and more.

    Seeking compensation helps you get what you need and deserve after an accident, and it holds a careless driver accountable for their actions.

    Call (702) 382-0000 for a free consultation

    Adam S. Kutner is a top 100 trial lawyer with 33 years’ experience and expertise that will benefit you

    Call us at (702) 382-0000 anytime to schedule a free consultation. We will work to get you the maximum settlement as quickly as possible so you can move forward on your healing journey.

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      Adam S. Kutner - Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyer
      Adam S. Kutner
      PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER

      With more than 33 years of experience fighting for victims of personal injury in the Las Vegas Valley, attorney Adam S. Kutner knows his way around the Nevada court system and how to get clients their settlement promptly and trouble-free.