Dangerous driving habits it's time to drop
To make roadways safer overall, drivers should make a conscious effort to avoid these six behaviors that the NHTSA has deemed the riskiest.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released its projections for traffic fatalities in the first nine months of 2022, which show an estimated 31,784 people died in crashes during that time – a 0.2% decrease from that same period in 2021. However, while fatalities dropped overall, there was an increase in pedestrian and cyclist deaths.
“Fatalities have not increased for two quarters now, but we have far more work to do to save lives and address the crisis on our nation’s roadways. That means investing in safety, implementing strategies that work, and embracing the safe system approach outlined in the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy,” NHTSA acting administrator Ann Carlson said in a release. “We urge everyone to do their part by driving safely and watching out for others on the road, especially vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.”
To make roadways safer overall, drivers should make a conscious effort to avoid these six behaviors that the NHTSA has deemed the riskiest.
1. Drunk driving
There were 11,654 fatalities in vehicle accidents where at least one driver was impaired by alcohol in 2020, according to the NHTSA. This marked a 14.3% increase in alcohol-impaired-driving crash deaths from 2019. More than half of the impaired drivers involved in these accidents were between the ages of 21 and 34.
2. Drug-impaired driving
Driving under the influence of any kind of intoxicant can come with deadly consequences, and while alcohol’s effects on drivers are well-known, more research needs to be done to fully understand the impacts of drug and polysubstance use on someone operating a vehicle.
Law enforcement is stepping up their drug-impairment detection game to crack down on this behavior, with more than 9,800 certified drug recognition experts (DREs) – officers who are trained to recognize drug-impaired driving – as of December 2019, according to the CDC. States reported 49,905 DRE evaluations were performed in 2019.
3. Distracted driving
The NHTSA’s 2020 distracted driving report shows 324,652 people were injured and 3,142 died in crashes involving distracted drivers. Cell phone use and texting are usually the first things that come to mind when discussing the dangers of distracted driving. However, other – seemingly more innocuous – activities like adjusting the climate controls in your car, eating while driving, talking to passengers or fiddling with the radio are all things that can take your attention off of the road long enough to cause a crash.
4. Not wearing seat belts
An estimated 90.4% of front-seat occupants wore their seatbelts in 2021, according to the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which is conducted annually by the NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. They also found 51% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2020 were unrestrained – which was an increase of 4% from the previous year – and 58% of those killed in nighttime crashes weren’t wearing their seatbelts. The NHTSA claims buckling up in the front seat of a car can reduce your chance of fatal injury by 45%, and risk of moderate to critical injury by 50%.
5. Speeding
Speed was involved in 28% of fatal crashes and 13% of injury crashes in 2020 – 11,258 deaths and an estimated 308,013 injuries in total – according to the NHTSA. These statistics show a 17% increase in speed-involved fatalities from 2019 (9,592 deaths) to 2020. Over the course of the last two decades, speed has been involved in around one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities. Not only does speeding allow you less control of your vehicle, it can also increase the severity of any crash that may happen, limit your ability to stop quickly if needed and reduce the effectiveness of your car’s safety equipment.
6. Drowsy driving
Fatigue is all too common in a world where many folks are struggling to keep up with day-to-day life and may not be getting enough sleep. Those with long commutes or who work late hours may especially struggle to stay awake while driving to or from work, but a little bit of drowsiness while driving can quickly turn into a hazard. The NHTSA reports 633 people died in drowsy-driving-related crashes in 2020. These crashes tend to happen most often between midnight and 6 a.m., and usually involve just vehicles carrying only a driver that run off the road with no sign there was an attempt to brake. The NHTSA offers tips for combating drowsy driving here.