Much like any other state, Kentucky sees plenty of car wrecks. The state has lots of rural areas, and also several major cities, like Lexington and Louisville. A car accident can happen in a metropolitan area or on a deserted back road. 

Kentucky sees about 100,700 car wrecks every year. Some come with injuries, or even deaths. If you cause a car accident, then it makes sense to look at your driving behavior. Maybe you did something you can avoid in the future. 

In this article, we will talk about driver behaviors that cause many Kentucky car accidents. As you read about them, consider whether you’ve ever engaged in such behaviors.

Using Your Smartphone While Driving

Almost every person has a smartphone with them these days. Some parents let their kids have smartphones when they’re still very young. If you ask them about it, they might say they feel their child should have the device just in case there’s an emergency and they need to reach out.

When you’re driving, you should never talk on your smartphone. You shouldn’t text on it, either. You shouldn’t check a sports score, post a witty remark on social media, or look at the latest memes. 

If you have smartphone addiction, you may find putting the device down difficult. You need to do it when you’re behind the wheel, though. If you don’t, you can easily cause a car accident.

If you find that you can’t resist looking at your phone while driving, then you might turn it off and put it in your pocket. Perhaps you’ll put it in the car’s center consol or in the glove compartment instead.

Do whatever it takes to make sure the device does not distract you. If you get a text or call, you can respond when you park the car at your destination. 

Speeding

You probably also know that as a driver, you shouldn’t speed. However, when you’re out on the highway, perhaps it’s a temptation that you have a hard time resisting.

Maybe you have a vehicle with a speedometer that says the car can go all the way up to 140 miles per hour. That might sound enticing. If you see an open stretch of road ahead of you, and no cops around, then you may feel the urge to put the pedal to the metal.

Try to resist these feelings. Even when you’re driving on a clear day with nothing but open road ahead, you should understand that the faster you drive, the easier it becomes for an accident to occur. 

If you’re driving faster, you can lose control of the vehicle easier. If you’re testing the car’s limits with other vehicles around you, that endangers not just you, but other drivers and passengers nearby.  

Tailgating Another Car

You may see some drivers engaging in tailgating, especially when you’re out on the highway. Tailgating involves riding another car’s rear bumper. If you have someone in the fast lane ahead of you who’s not going over the speed limit, that might irritate you. You may ride their bumper to encourage the other driver to move over.

Some drivers will even honk their horns at a slower car that is in the fast lane. They may flash their lights at them. That’s a form of aggressive driving, and it can have disastrous results if you are not careful.

A driver ahead of you might decide to brake check you. They will slam down on the brakes suddenly, and you can crash into their rear bumper. 

If that happens, then the police will blame you. They will say that you shouldn’t have tailgated the other driver. There’s a rule that you should leave three car lengths between your vehicle and the one ahead of you whenever possible.

Causing a car wreck can happen if you’re tailgating another driver, but that’s not even the worst possible consequence. You might trigger a road rage incident. You don’t know whether any other motorist has a weapon, and they might use it if you irritate them enough. 

Drunk Driving

If you consume alcohol, then you likely know that you shouldn’t drive. Sometimes, though, a driver will feel like they don’t have to obey these rules.

Maybe you’re over the legal limit because you drank at one of Kentucky’s many bars. You know you live just a few miles away, and you’ve driven that route hundreds of times. You also feel like you’re a skilled driver, so you won’t make a mistake.

Even if you’re an excellent driver, though, your reflexes suffer if you consume too much alcohol. If a sudden dangerous situation arises, you might not react quickly enough. You can kill someone or severely injure them.

You will probably never forgive yourself if that happens. You may also get jail time. Drunk driving endangers you and others, so get an Uber and come back for your vehicle later if you indulge beyond the legal limit for motorists. 

Driving While Fatigued

You may also cause a car wreck in Kentucky if you drive when you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Maybe you’re putting in a lot of extra time at work at the moment. You’re getting plenty of overtime hours, and you’re thinking about the nice paycheck that will provide.

That doesn’t mean you should drive if you’re not rested enough, though. If you do, you once again don’t have the fast reflexes you normally would. If you encounter a dangerous driving situation, maybe you will make a mistake and severely injure someone, or yourself.

You might even fall asleep at the wheel. To avoid such scenarios, open the window and let some cold air into the car. Drink some caffeine before you drive. If you don’t feel like that’s sufficient, take public transportation to get to work or have someone else drive you.

By avoiding these driver behaviors, you’ll help to keep Kentucky’s roads safer.