Imagine driving down the street on your way to school or work in the morning. You are singing along to your favorite song on the radio and drinking your favorite coffee when suddenly, you get cut off and stuck behind a driver who seems to be going negative speed. Suddenly your morning, which had previously been going wonderfully, is ruined, all because of a slow driver.
Bad drivers are everywhere, but many things can make someone a bad driver. I asked people in an anonymous survey three questions: What is a bad driver? How do you react to these things that make a bad driver? Do you consider yourself a good driver?
Here are some of the responses:
What makes someone a bad driver?
“Someone who drives well below the speed limit for no reason, people who break check on purpose/unneeded reasons, people who do not use their blinkers, swerve on the road for again, no reason needed”
“Phone use while driving, reckless driving, and driving under the influence of anything”
“Cutting off, no blinker, speeding, swerving”
“Being on their phone, not using their blinker, not paying attention”
“No awareness, speeding, or reckless driving”
“Reckless Behavior, no awareness, speeding, being distracted”
“Is over the age of 70, rides your behind even when going 5 over the speed limit, is impatient, or people that go 5 below the speed limit”
“Swerving, too close to other cars, no turn signals”
According to the survey, the top traits of a bad driver are distracted driving and reckless driving. This includes using one’s phone, swerving, not using a directional, speeding, going too slow, and being unaware. Many people are aware of these things with other drivers; however, they may not notice themselves doing the same things.
How do you react when you see people doing these things?
“Let them go by/ignore them”
“I’m a little upset”
“It’s annoying, but it’s also really scary. I hate driving on the road with people who aren’t safe or are essentially bad drivers”
“I get [mad], and sometimes I laugh at people’s driving abilities because they are so bad”
“I stay far back because I want to be safe around dangerous drivers”
“In my opinion, how I react depends on what the driver is doing to be unsafe. Phone use while driving can be very dangerous so usually you can ask the driver if they want you to do what they are trying to do on their phone. For example, I can ask if they want me to put the directions in or send a text for them. Reckless driving is more serious so usually I would outright make a comment about the danger of the situation. Personally, I would never get into a car with someone under the influence, nor have I done that. Therefore, I am not sure what I would do in that specific situation”
“I get mad and yell at them because driving isn’t that hard. Learn how to do it, it typically involves praying they get their license revoked”
While there are laws to prevent distracted/reckless driving, they are not enforced as much as they should be, as everyone has encountered someone doing something dangerous while driving. People need to be aware while driving, which can start with something as simple as putting your phone out of reach or turning down the music if it is distracting.
Do you consider yourself a good driver?
Most people agree that bad drivers are dangerous; some are nervous to be on the road with them, while others get angry when driving around bad drivers. Moreover, bad driving is an epidemic that needs to be solved. In America, the top three causes of car accidents are distracted driving, speeding, and driving under the influence.
According to the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey, “… about 41 percent of the critical reasons were recognition errors (inattention, internal and external distractions, inadequate surveillance, etc.). In addition, about 34 percent of the critical reasons attributed to the driver were decision errors (driving aggressively, driving too fast, etc.) and 10 percent were performance errors (overcompensation, improper directional control, etc.)”
These factors involve the driver specifically, not the vehicle or the weather, just the driver. This shows how dangerous distracted, aggressive, speeding, and unaware drivers are. To ensure the safety of everyone on the road, people must be taught how to drive safely and should drive that way forever.
Next time you are driving, think about these characteristics of a bad driver and stay aware of your driving and that of others on the road. Before criticizing the driver on their phone, think, did you use your phone while driving today? In order to create safer roads for everyone, all drivers must critique their own driving before calling out the mistakes of others on the road.
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811059
