Wilfully driving a vehicle with disregard for others’ safety on the road is termed reckless driving. To everyone’s surprise, millions of people die from road accidents where most of the time the cause of accidents is reckless driving. Portraying reckless driving behaviors is not only dangerous for others but also poses a threat to your life and wellbeing. Here is our guide for new drivers to understand reckless driving, its consequences, and ways to avoid this dangerous way of driving.
What is Reckless Driving?
It is counted as reckless driving when the vehicle driver completely ignores the safety precautions and the traffic rules. Law enforcement sees reckless driving as a serious offense as a person exhibits disregard for road safety and laws. Below are the various instances where you can be charged for reckless driving.
Overspeeding
Wherever you go beyond the set speed limit on the road, there are chances you might get a ticket for reckless driving. The speed limits are always different on various roads, so make sure you check the limits to avoid getting served.
Ignoring Traffic Laws
Changing lanes without using indicators and completely ignoring traffic signs are poor driving practices that can get you fined or even get convicted under reckless driving.
Maneuvering Blind Curves
As explained in general traffic rules, roads with a solid yellow line mean that the drivers should always avoid overtaking. Passing someone without waiting for a safe area indicated with a broken yellow line is categorized as reckless driving as everyone has learned these general rules during a driver’s license exam. Turning on a curve without slowing down to assure safety also falls under reckless driving with a lot of negative consequences.
Ignoring Barriers and Signs
Railroad barriers are placed to ensure safety and prevent cars from moving on the tracks when a train is passing. Ignoring these barriers can result in an accident or even prove to be fatal under dire circumstances. While driving through school districts or residential areas during school hours, drive well under the speed limits and always stop your vehicle when you see a parked bus with an extended stop sign. Even If you drive past the bus at low speeds, you can still be served a reckless driving ticket.
Driving Under Influence
People under the influence of drugs or alcohol tend to be involved more in driving. Going out for a ride in these situations is serious reckless driving behavior that can get you in trouble.
Consequences of Rash Driving
Rash driving comes with a risk of injuries that can occur in case of an accident. Here are the consequences you might face when it comes to reckless driving.
● Engaging in such careless driving often can result in your license suspension or a permanent cancellation in extreme situations.
● Tickets and fines are unavoidable if a law enforcement officer finds you ignoring driving rules.
● In case of an accident due to reckless driving, the insurance company might not cover the bills and might even end up paying increased insurance premiums. Professionals that specialize in car insurance at www.insurancenavy.com/reckless-driving advise getting adequate information on how insurance premiums change with reckless driving. Knowing this information beforehand also helps in choosing the right insurance company.
● Applying and getting selected for a job related to driving can become difficult if you already have been convicted of reckless driving.
● In the worst-case scenario, you might end up serving jail time if the consequences of your driving cause serious injuries or death.
Ways to Avoid Reckless Driving
Understand your responsibility of making sure you keep you and others safe on the road. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind if you are struggling to improve your driving skills.
● Traveling well under the speed limit is the safest decision when traveling in rural areas or under bad weather conditions. Moreover, be vigilant of traffic patterns and everything going on around you to react appropriately.
● Everyone passes a driver’s license exam before starting to drive. Over time, the rules can be forgotten so it is always good to go through the laws often as it will make sure you avoid unnecessary traffic violation tickets.
● Avoid distractions during driving like eating, talking over the phone, or using a GPS. These perplexed actions can easily result in very unexpected situations, putting everyone in danger.
Reckless driving inevitably causes serious injuries, penalties, or might result in license cancellation. However, by following simple traffic laws, one can easily ensure everyone’s safety. After all, life is precious and we all share equal responsibility to care for ourselves and the ones around us.
Featured image: Unsplash (Alexandre Boucher).
