Most people believe that they are good drivers, and yet, statistically, many of us engage in behaviors that put ourselves and others on the road at risk. With the average American driving around 13,436 miles a year, it is not that surprising that even people who might be cautious most of the time might have an occasional slip-up.

When accidents do occur, it is often the result of a few different behaviors, some of which are extremely common, and even some that the majority of people on the road likely do on occasion.

Driving Drunk

The good news is, the practice of drunk driving is decreasing. The bad news is that even though the numbers are in decline, a staggering number of adults still engage in this obviously risky behavior. Injuries resulting from drunk drivers are common, and actually occur at a rate of one every two minutes. In some cases, a person who is involved in an accident while driving drunk can be found at fault through the doctrine of “negligence per se.” This is because drunk driving is illegal, and the violation of the drunk driving statute can be used to show negligence even in the absence of some other evidence of actual negligent driving.

Texting while driving

While drunk driving might be decreasing, texting, and other cellphone use while driving is increasing. Our smartphones have become something like an appendage for many of us, and we might not even realize how much we look at the screen. While glancing at a text might seem fairly harmless, and like the type of thing that everyone does, texting and driving can be just as dangerous as driving drunk.

Driving above the speed limit

This is another driving transgression that most drivers have been guilty of at least a few times. Sometimes we might drive too fast because we are rushing to make it somewhere, and other times we might just not be paying attention to the speedometer. In nearly one-third of fatal car accidents, speeding played a role. It is also important to remember that weather should be taken into account when driving. Sometimes a person might not be driving above the speed limit but could be driving at a speed that is unsafe for the weather conditions, such as heavy rain or icy roads.

Being tired

Sometimes car accidents occur from something as simple as tiredness. Driving drowsy can be dangerous, and it occurs all the time. Who hasn’t had to wake up early and drive before their coffee kicked in, or driven home late from an airport or family gathering? Some tens of thousands of car accidents annually are considered to have been caused by people driving while tired. Of course, tiredness likely plays a part in many more accidents, and it is difficult to accurately measure the statistics for driving tired.

When we get behind the wheel, we owe a duty to everyone else on the road. We cannot control everything we might come across when driving, but we should strive to be as cautious, alert and responsible as possible.

If you were involved in a car accident, contact the experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney at Barrett Law, PLLC now to discuss your claim.