When Disaster Strikes: 4 Types of Driver Negligence to Distinguish Between

Driver negligence comes in several different forms, but the result is usually the same: either a near-miss or an accident. In the case of a near-miss, some angry honking and hand gesturing might be the result. It’s not a pleasant experience, but presumably, no one was harmed. If the negligence resulted in an accident, then you might need to seek legal help from https://injuryflorida.lawyer/ or a similar site, regardless of whether you were the negligent one or the driver or pedestrian on the receiving end of the behavior. These are four negligent driving behaviors and how to differentiate between them.

Drug and Alcohol Use

Drugs and alcohol play a part in far too many car wrecks. Drivers who are under the influence when they cause a crash are certainly going to be in the wrong since it is illegal to get behind the wheel when you over the legal limit for drinking. It is always illegal to drive when you are under the influence of controlled substances. Often in these situations, the courts will hold the intoxicated party responsible for all damages, unless there were some unusual mitigating factors.

Disobeying Traffic Laws

Some traffic laws are universal to all cities and states, while there are some that differ slightly in various parts of the country. However, if a driver caused an accident because they disobeyed traffic laws, and if the testimony of other drivers, pedestrians, or other witnesses corroborates the anecdotal evidence, then that driver will undoubtedly be held liable for damages. To make sure that you don’t come out on the wrong end of one of these court or civil cases, be familiar with all the traffic laws before you get behind the wheel, and don’t disobey them for any reason.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving is usually defined as a range of vehicular transgressions constituting negligence. Most of them are easy enough to prove because of their very egregiousness. Reckless driving might include speeding, going the wrong way down a one-way street, passing vehicles illegally, or failing to indicate a lane change. There are many more examples, but generally speaking, a situation where the driver was obviously and flagrantly disregarding traffic laws is going to fall under the category of recklessness.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving can also prove dangerous, and while it might not be as bad as getting behind the wheel while drunk or operating a vehicle in an intentionally careless way, it can still get drivers and those around them in serious trouble. Distracted driving might occur if the vehicle’s operator were yelling at the kids in the back seat, talking on a cell phone while steering with one hand, or trying to text and drive at the same time. It might mean that the driver was reaching down to the floor of the car trying to retrieve some fallen object while the vehicle was in motion. Distracted driving might not be intentional, but it is still something in which you should never engage. Keep your attention on the road.

You can’t control what anyone else around you is doing, but you can at least control your actions. Always be mindful of the damage that a vehicle can do, and drive responsibly. You’ll be glad that you did, and so will those around you.