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Driving Mistakes

Most Lethal Driving Mistakes
From not buckling up to not getting enough shut-eye, here's a rundown of the 10 most common mistakes motorists make.
In an ideal world, drivers would execute every road maneuver with precision and ease. Sadly, we do not live in a never-never land, and not everyone walks away from metal-to-metal mayhem. Truth is that drivers are not created equal. Some are too brash, others too conservative. Some are even downright clueless. The common thread is that they can all turn a pleasant day on the motorway into a surreal nightmare in the blink of an eye. And don't just blame it on "them." Everyone is guilty of making common driving mistakes that can endanger us all. Think about it: We'll bet you can recall with vivid exasperation a whole litany of stupid moves you've made throughout the years — some benign, some not so much.
To help you stay safe behind the wheel, here's a list of 10 driving behaviors to avoid.
The No. 1 fatal mistake made by drivers is perhaps the most simple: not staying in their own lane — i.e., running off the road or drifting into the adjacent lane. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2007, 15,574 people died in crashes where the driver simply couldn't stay in the lane.






"Driving a vehicle when you are fatigued is as dangerous as driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs," National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said after a fatal highway accident in 2003 in which a college student who had been awake for the previous 18 hours was driving a carload of fellow students at 5 a.m. According to the NHTSA, in 2007 fatigued driving caused the deaths of 1,404 people, and more traffic fatalities occurred during the hours when most people are accustomed to being asleep (3 a.m. to 6 a.m.) than at any other time of day.
Every 40 minutes someone dies in a drunk-driving accident. (In all 50 states, a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more is considered illegal, but a little-known fact is that you can be charged with driving while impaired even if you're under the legal limit.) Young drivers are particularly prone to drinking and driving: The 21- to 34-year-old set is responsible for well over half of alcohol-infused fatal crashes. Not surprisingly, the decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated is made most often at night and on the weekends. According to the NHTSA, 60 percent of drivers who died after dark in 2007 were legally drunk. Alcohol is also a factor in half of pedestrian traffic deaths — both drivers and pedestrians are the culprits.

You get panicky when the wheels of your SUV hit the rumble patch on the shoulder of the highway, so you throw the steering wheel in the opposite direction to get the vehicle back on the road. This is a classic example of overcorrecting or oversteering, and it's a particularly perilous maneuver when you're behind the wheel of an SUV driving on the highway at high speeds. Consider it a rollover waiting to happen. More than 4 percent of automobile fatalities a year occur because of drivers overcorrecting.











Racing, driving faster than the posted speed limit or simply going too fast for road conditions — i.e., speeding — comprises the second highest cause of death in fatal crashes, according to the NHTSA. Once you hit 55 mph, you're in the danger zone: 30 percent of fatalities occur at 55 or above. The worst-case scenarios invariably involve speeding without wearing a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet. Fatality rates for speeding motorcyclists are shockingly high: In 2007, speeding was a factor in 36 percent of motorcycle fatalities. Of those, 41 percent of drivers and more than half of passengers were not wearing helmets (only 20 states and the District of Columbia require helmets).






For drivers age 70 and above, failing to yield while merging into traffic is the top cause of crashes. In a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers 80 and older simply fail to see the other vehicle they should be yielding to. Drivers 70 to 79 see the vehicle but misjudge whether they have time to proceed ahead of it. Failure to yield right of way was the fifth leading cause of fatal crashes in 2007.


At its mildest, we're talking about weaving and tailgating; at its most severe, this kind of driving involves steering down the wrong side of the road, exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph or doing more than 80 mph, and worse. Reckless driving can bring fines, jail time — and death. More than 1,850 fatalities in 2007 were the result of erratic or reckless drivers.
A whopping 75 percent of automobile crashes occur in cities, according to the nonprofit Insurance Research Council. The most common cause of these accidents? Hitting the gas when the light turns red. Of the myriad types of collisions that can result, head-on and side-impact collisions are the most dangerous. NHTSA statistics show that of the 41,059 automobile fatalities in 2007, 54 percent occurred in cars that sustained frontal damage. When you cut it too close while running a light, your front end or another car's front end is impacted. Either way, it's a recipe for a deadly accident.






Not Wearing a Seat Belt


Despite the fact that seat belt use is far more prevalent than even a decade ago — not to mention being legally required — 33 percent of people who die in vehicle fatalities failed to buckle up. Without a seat belt, car drivers and passengers put themselves at risk of being ejected from a vehicle, and 76 percent of the time the ejection ends in death.

Eating, talking on a cell phone, typing text messages and fumbling with the car stereo all fall under the umbrella of inattentive driving, which was responsible for 4,704 deaths in 2007. Of these bad habits, cell phone use behind the wheel is becoming standard practice, with an estimated 1 million Americans driving and talking on the phone at any given time. With that comes a four-fold increase in the risk of crashing. One example, which caused the NTSB to launch an inquiry, involved an SUV that veered off the left side of the road, jumped the median, flipped and landed on top of a vehicle driving the opposite direction. The driver was trying to negotiate high crosswinds while talking on a handheld phone. Surprisingly, using a hands-free device likely wouldn't have made a difference. "You'd think using a hands-free phone would be less distracting," said Anne McCartt, author of a study published in the British Medical Journal. "But we found that either phone type increased the risk."
Claire Martin has written for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Outside magazine. She's the former deputy editor of Men's Journal and currently lives in Los Angeles, where she covers technology, travel and food.

Tips for You

Ten Tips to Make Your Car Last Longer

While you can't avoid ownership costs, you do have power to make your car last longer and maintain its value.
Getting from point A to point B by car costs a certain amount of dough, and thanks to the U.S. economy it takes more of your hard-earned money than ever before. But while you can’t always control ownership costs such as fuel, repairs and insurance rates, one thing you do have power over is making your car last longer and maintaining its value. Here you have a choice: Either spend money on a new car every few years or keep your current car running great and looking sharp. If you decide to go the latter route, follow these 10 tips to help keep your ride rolling.
Breathe Easier
Even the most mechanically challenged drivers know to change a car’s oil and oil filter on a regular basis — even if they don’t always do it. But other fluids and filters also need regular maintenance. For example, changing your air filter helps your car breathe easier and the engine last longer. “If your air filter is clogged, your engine is not performing properly,” notes Jack Nerad, editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “It also hurts your fuel economy, and it can harm the engine over the long term.”
Keep It Cool

Maintaining your car’s cooling system and the proper coolant level is as important as making sure the engine is well lubed and can potentially save you thousands of dollars in repairs. “A cooling system failure can result in your engine literally melting down,” warns Nerad. “Because of lack of proper coolant and maintenance of hoses, you can have major problems.”
Pressure Check

Tires are often the most neglected part of a car, Nerad adds. “Most people don’t pay much attention to keeping their tires at the right inflation pressure,” he says. “And it’s not only bad for the car, the tires and fuel economy, but it’s also a safety issue. The simple step of keeping the tires up to proper pressure is valuable all the way around,” he adds, “and it essentially costs almost nothing.”
Fully En-Gauged

If there is a problem with your oil pressure, cooling system or even tire pressure on the latest vehicles, your car’s gauges will tell you — if you’re paying attention to them. “The vast majority of people don’t,” remarks Nerad. “That’s why manufacturers went to ‘idiot lights’ to give a clear indication of when there’s a problem.” Get Regular Checkups
Find a repair shop and mechanic you trust. “And let that shop service your car all the time,” says Dave Jones, owner of Jones Automotive in Green County, Pennsylvania, and co-host of the Web site AskAutoPro.com. “When you get sick you don’t go to a different doctor every time. Your doctor knows you from top to bottom, inside and out.” A good mechanic will get to know your car and look over it the same way, Jones adds.
Look Closely

Jones also suggests spending time inspecting your car. “Every now and then, take five minutes and walk around the car and look at it,” he said. Check to see if the tires are wearing unevenly. Open the hood and check out the hoses. Make sure all the lights are working. “It only takes a couple of minutes to check things like that,” he adds.
Get on a Schedule

While your owner’s manual will have a maintenance schedule, another advantage of using the same mechanics on a regular basis is they will be able to make sure you stick to the schedule — and take care of things the manual may not include. “If you go to different places each time you have your car serviced, they won’t know the last time you had something done,” says Aaron Clements, owner of C&C Automotive in Augusta, Georgia, and a 31-year auto-repair veteran. “So you may end up paying for unnecessary repairs. Most shops have electronic records so they know when each service was done. The scheduled maintenance charts in owner’s manuals tell only part of the story,” he adds. “So it’s also a benefit to have a relationship with a service advisor who knows your vehicle and when to perform service in addition to what’s in the owner’s manual.”
Drive Smarter
The way you drive has an effect on how long your car — and your gas — will last. “You not only save wear and tear by having good driving habits, but also fuel,” claims Clements. “Taking off fast and coming to a stop quickly can be bad on a car and affect the engine, the brakes and other things.”
Keep It Clean

Nerad also stresses taking care of the exterior of your car by regularly washing and waxing it. And don’t forget about the interior. “That’s an often overlooked area,” he says. “Spend time keeping it clean and clean-smelling without perfuming it, and vacuum the carpet on a regular basis. Get spills out immediately because if you don’t they’re more difficult to remove.” Keep it Covered
Nerad also suggests storing your car in a garage or under a carport or cover. “Keep your car out of the sun,” he says. “And keep it away from bird droppings and tree sap. Also be careful where you park to avoid dings,” he adds.
Keeping your car maintained will not only make it last longer but also will make it much more pleasant to drive — which will make you want to take better care of it. “If you have a vehicle that looks good and you enjoy getting in it and driving, you’re much more prone to take care of it,” observes Clements.” And since it won’t last forever, taking care of your car will also increase the resale value. “It’s very clear on our site that condition is crucial,” says Nerad. “In real estate they say it’s all about location, location, location, but with car values it’s all about condition, condition, condition.”

By Doug Newcomb
Doug Newcomb has been writing about automotive-related topics since 1988. His work has appeared in Consumers Digest, Road & Track, Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal and many other publications. His book Car Audio for Dummies is available from Wiley Publishing.