Intoxication, texting, and cell phone use are getting a lot of media attention because of their contribution to motor vehicle accidents. However, there are other overlooked driving hazards that may also cause a deadly crash. Because they get little attention, motorists exposed to them often have little awareness of the danger.
Drive safely by avoiding these three lesser-known driving hazards:
Driving While Sick
The demands of a job cause many people to drive to work when they should rest at home. Driving while sick endangers yourself and others on the road. The discomfort, sneezing, coughing, and weakness from the flu or some other sickness distracts the motorist and reduces their overall mental alertness. This problem is compounded if the person drives while under the influence of over-the-counter medications. These cause drowsiness and other forms of driver impairment.
Driving While Emotionally Distraught
Extreme emotional states affect your judgment and ability to think clearly. It’s impossible to drive safely without these two mental assets. It isn’t just the emotions themselves that get in the way of safe driving. The distracting thoughts about the upsetting event undermine your mental focus. They prevent you from noticing or anticipating road hazards and the dangerous actions of other motorists. Extreme emotions reduce your patience and make you more prone to road rage.
Driving While Physically or Mentally Exhausted
Exhaustion is a state of extreme fatigue. Extreme physical fatigue brings on drowsiness, which impairs your driving as badly as intoxication. Physical fatigue leaves you with little energy for the mental functioning necessary for defensive driving and may cause you to drive on autopilot.
If a medical condition, a marathon, or lack of sleep is the reason for your fatigue, let someone else do the driving. The same applies if you aren’t feeling “with it” because of mental fatigue induced by intense study, interviewing, test taking, or any other activity that taxes your mental or emotional reserves.
Contact us at Hogan Injury if a negligent or aggressive driver injured you or a loved one in a car crash.
