You may try your best to drive defensively but fail to prepare for some forms of distraction that lead to crashes.

When other people on the road look away from oncoming cars or do not check before turning, you may wonder what you can do to notice these signs. Learning about signs of distracted driving can help you stay safe on the road.

Hands moving freely

According to the United States Department of Transportation, if you notice someone in a car near you continually taking their hands off the wheel in order to pick up food or a phone, then this could be the start of distracted driving. If you try to turn onto another road, this person could ignore your signal and proceed as normal without realizing this could cause a crash.

Having both hands on the wheel at all times is important for keeping control of the vehicle. This lack of attention leads to sideswiping and other preventable accidents. Even simple distractions such as opening a drink with one hand can lead to problems.

Continual talking and glancing around

If someone is attempting to put on mascara or is twisting around in their seat to talk to a passenger, their attention is not fully on the road. Wild hand gestures or a lack of concentration on the other cars around them are other signs of distracted driving.

Actions such as using cigarettes or trying to calm a crying baby also involve a person looking away from where other drivers are. When you begin to notice these signs of distraction, you can better pinpoint the source of car crashes.

When driving, you cannot always predict every incident. If you hear a loud noise while driving, there is a chance you can blame your tire. Tire blowouts are common but according to Allstate, can force your car to swerve out of control.

After an accident, many drivers benefit from understanding how to prevent future collisions. Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself after a blowout.

Why do tires blow out?

Most of the time, tires blow out because of underinflation. If your air pressure stays too low, the tires can flex beyond their normal limits. As the rubber flexes, it heats up and the rubber separates from the tire’s cord and fabric reinforcement.

Drivers have a higher likelihood of having a tire blowout when driving at higher speeds, particularly on the interstate. In stop-and-go traffic, you do not build up much heat, so you have fewer chances of a blowout.

What can you do during a blowout?

If you hear a loud boom while driving, try to stay as calm as possible. A lot of people instinctively step on the brake. Unfortunately, when you hit the brake, your wheels lock up and you can lose complete control of your vehicle. Instead, accelerate a little and steer as straight as you can. After accelerating, begin to slow down by lifting off the accelerator.

When you manage to pull over, turn your emergency lights on immediately. Do not try to change the tire unless you have room to do so safely. Often, you may not have room when on the interstate.

Drowsy driving is one of the biggest risks on the road, and one of the most dangerous forms of distraction. In fact, it is even more of a risk in many ways than texting while driving, which takes a huge number of lives yearly.

But how do crashes and drowsy driving correlate? What is the tie between the two, and what determines how much of a risk drowsy driving poses?

How drowsiness affects the body

NHTSA looks into the impact of drowsy driving. First, it is important to understand that drowsiness is more than just simply feeling a little tired. True drowsy driving can easily result in the driver nodding off without meaning to, or engaging in microsleep. This involves falling asleep for brief periods of up to three seconds. These are completely uncontrollable and a driver cannot predict when they will occur.

Deadly highway crashes

This might not sound like a big deal until it comes to freeway driving speed versus distance. The average driver on a freeway travels fast enough to cover the length of a football field in five seconds. This means that a three-second microsleep is enough to cover almost an entire football field’s worth of space.

Needless to say, it is all too possible to crash into other cars in that time. It is also possible to veer off the road entirely, or into oncoming traffic, which can lead to often fatal and serious head-on collisions.

Drowsy drivers cannot react to dangers quickly or prevent accidents from happening. Because of the risks that drowsiness poses, it makes drowsy driving a huge problem for all drivers.

Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its 2020 report on motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. According to the report, 38,824 individuals died in car crashes in 2020. Sadly, this is the highest number of traffic fatalities in a single year since 2007.

Because many Americans worked from home for much of 2020, one would expect there to be fewer traffic fatalities that year. Still, the NHTSA report reveals some alarming trends in driver behaviors that likely caused the uptick in traffic fatalities. These behaviors continue to put the lives of all Tennesseans in jeopardy.

Speeding

Many Americans seem to be virtually incapable of following posted speed limits, as excessive speed played a role in many fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2020. Put simply, the faster a vehicle is traveling, the greater the chances one of its occupants will die or suffer a catastrophic injury in a crash.

Alcohol impairment

Some drivers continue to endanger others by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Just as speed factored into many of the fatal car accidents in 2020, impaired driving remained a leading cause of these crashes.

Seat belt usage

In 2019, approximately 91% of Americans claimed to use their seat belts regularly, leaving about 9% of drivers who refuse to buckle up. Still, wearing a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle is one of the more effective ways to survive a car accident. Regrettably, many of those who died in traffic accidents in 2020 were not wearing seat belts.

The NHTSA’s 2020 annual report should remind all Americans of the dangers of irresponsible driving. Ultimately, if someone you love dies because of someone else’s irresponsible driving, you may have grounds to pursue substantial financial compensation.