Harry Gibson on September 1, 2024 No Comments
Some teens can’t wait to get their driver’s licenses. They might see their parents driving and look forward eagerly to a time when they can get behind the wheel. For some, that enthusiasm continues throughout their adult lives.
Whether you feel this passionately about driving or not, though, you must admit that some dangers do exist when you get out on America’s roadways. We will discuss a few of them in the following article. While you can’t avoid them all, you can at least remain on your guard every time you are near one of them or you see a potentially disastrous situation developing.
Large Commercial Trucks
2019 saw 5,005 fatal trucking accidents in the US, and you can expect a similar number in most years. If you consider it for a moment, you will probably understand why those big 18-wheelers pose such a threat. It is their sheer size that creates so many problems.
The trucking industry drives this nation. Many of the semis you see thundering down the highways have food, clothing, furniture, and similar items inside them. People need those things, so you can regard trucks as a necessary evil. However, if a trucker gets drowsy behind the wheel, consumes alcohol, or does not check for smaller vehicles nearby before changing lanes, one of these juggernauts can run you right off the road.
If you see one of these large vehicles on the highway or a local road, stay away from it if you can. Either speed up and pass it or drop back and let it go ahead of you. If you are not right next to it, it poses little danger if the driver does not behave as responsibly as you’d hope.
Drunk or Otherwise Intoxicated Drivers
If you see a car swerving all over the road, that could indicate many things. Maybe the driver has a furious bee or hornet that is going after them. However, you might often suspect that they’ve consumed alcohol or some other intoxicant, and many times, the facts will support your theory.
Virtually any driver knows that they should not consume alcohol before getting on the road, but that does not stop some of them. It is unfortunate, but some individuals simply don’t care about the laws in place. Some may also feel that they’re both experienced drivers and drinkers. They may think that three or four beers don’t impact them very much, and they’re fine to drive home from the bar.
These days, you can get legal marijuana and edibles in some states as well. While you can buy such things and use them legally, they will doubtless impact you if you attempt to drive after indulging. Some drivers don’t think they’re dangerous, though, so they might smoke a joint and drive somewhere without thinking twice about it.
No matter what intoxicants a person used before driving, if you see someone swerving or acting erratically in some other way when they’re on the road, you might try to take note of their license number and call the police the first chance you get. Even if this reckless driver doesn’t hit you, they might harm someone else. Telling the cops where you saw them might save a life.
Animals in the Road
Animals that try to dart across the road when you are driving can also pose a serious danger. No driver wants to hit something like a squirrel or a rabbit that runs out in the road and then panics or freezes when it sees a car bearing down on them. However, if you hit it, it likely will not change the car’s trajectory.
If something like a deer or a bear runs out into the road, that can easily kill or severely injure you if you run into it head-on. In some parts of the country, you might also see wolves, bison, or other sizeable animals that might not realize they’re in any danger when they walk on a paved road that sees a lot of traffic.
If you’re driving through an area where you know you could run into large animals, exercise extreme caution. Your quick reflexes might save you if something large enough to total your car suddenly shows up in the road ahead of you.
Speed Demons
You should also watch out for individuals who speed. On the highway, many people drive five miles over the speed limit, or perhaps as much as ten. If you do it, you’re risking a ticket, but many cops will look the other way if you exceed the posted limit slightly.
If you start driving significantly over that limit, though, you’re endangering others. You probably can’t stop in time if the traffic pattern changes suddenly.
If you are in the fast lane on the highway, and a car comes up behind you and starts riding your bumper, try to get out of their way the next chance you get. Doing so can prevent an accident. You should also try not to gesture at them or yell anything, even if their behavior bothers you.
Someone who is speeding might demonstrate some additional volatility if they feel you said something to them or made a rude gesture. They might continue tailgating you if you do that, or they could follow you and try to get violent if they’re unhinged enough.
Speeding and road rage often go hand in hand. Someone who’s flying down the road at twenty miles over the posted limit could very easily have a gun or some other weapon in the car.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving can also pose a threat. These days, someone might let their smartphone distract them, or maybe they see a funny billboard that draws their attention away from the car directly ahead of them.
Try to keep a safe distance from the vehicles nearby. That way, if a distracted driver does something unexpected, maybe you can take evasive action in time.
