Healthy Food Delivery : Bad Driving Habits Put You at Risk— So We Asked Experts How to Counter Them

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death—especially for teens.” It is a given that you take a risk every time you get behind the wheel. That risk becomes exponentially greater due to drivers’ age (young and older) and experience, adding to the driving risks already present on dangerous roadways and to poor decisions made while driving.

I consulted with experts, reviewed studies and spoke with a PennDoT-certified driver’s education instructor on strategies new and veteran drivers can employ to dramatically reduce the risk of a crash. Here’s what you need to know.

Driving Can Be a Risky Business

There are a number of behaviors that contribute to accidents, especially when teens are involved. That is why insurance premiums start high for young drivers, drop in middle age, then rise again for seniors. These include:

Speeding

Unfortunately, posted speed limits have become more of a suggestion than a rule of the road. Driving too fast for conditions, even with traffic enforcement cameras watching, is one of the top three critical errors in crashes. As reported in the Journal of Safety Research, “drivers also face greater difficulty when it comes to vehicle control and hazard [accident] avoidance behavior, as they tend to have more loss of control and run-off-road crashes.”

Seat belts

Injury Facts (NSC) analysis of NHTSA and Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data show that 49.2 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in 2023 were unrestrained, with similar proportions in 2020 to 2022. And when it comes to teens, a demographic that The Omega Law Group found to consistently use seat belts less than adults, that number is higher. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that in 2023, 53 percent of teen passengers killed in accidents in cars driven by another teen were unbuckled.

Teen passengers

According to NHTSA, “a teenage driver was two-and-a-half times more likely to engage in one or more potentially risky behaviors when driving with one teenage peer compared to when driving alone” or with an adult. Peer pressure and distractions increase the possibility of a crash with each additional teen passenger, even if the teen passenger is a sibling.

Impaired driving

Statistically, younger drivers are less likely than adults to drive after drinking alcohol. However, their crash risk increases substantially when they do; even with low and moderate blood alcohol levels,” reports the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Other research shows even small amounts of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs—including prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs—impair judgment, slow reaction times, greatly raising driver crash risks.

Personality traits

Drivers are especially vulnerable to strong emotional influences in social and driving situations—such as road rage—compelling them to take unnecessary risks that can quickly lead to reckless, deadly decisions. As Ronald E. Dahl M.D. explained, self-control abilities seem to develop slowly across adolescence and continue to “mature throughout our lifetime.”

Experience, or Lack Thereof…

Both experienced and inexperienced drivers lack the familiarity to recognize road hazards or respond appropriately to new, unexpected driving situations. The best approach for lowering possible crash conditions is for drivers to develop critical skills in lower-risk conditions that benefit them when driving in high-risk, unfamiliar situations.

What drivers don’t see can hurt them (or others)

Instead of continually visually scanning the entire roadway for turning locations, road signage, other vehicles, and road conditions, “most drivers don’t look ten feet past the hood,” Norman said. “Poor judgment, critical errors such as not fully observing or grasping the situation, misjudging distances, or overcorrecting are common errors any driver can make which contribute to higher accident rates,” said Erin Kemp, Research Strategist at Bumper.com. “Among crashes attributed to driver error, 21 percent were due to a lack of scanning that is needed to detect and respond to hazards.”

A recent data review by Pegasus Legal Capital, LLC. shows that “young adults aged 16 to 24 accounted for 6,693 deaths in 2023…with nighttime driving being especially deadly, with 57 percent of crash deaths occurring after dark.”

Lane changes, parking, backing up/reversing, pulling away from a curb, merging onto or exiting a highway safely all begin with using your eyes and mirrors, giving drivers plenty of time to act. However, an older study by Ronald Mourant ph.D., and Ronald Rodney found drivers “concentrated their eye fixations in a smaller area, sampled their mirrors less frequently and made fewer eye movements [when pulling away from a curb, merging onto or exiting a highway driving] than when driving.”

Pickup trucks

A pickup truck’s size and distinctive handling characteristics increase crash risk factors. Further analysis of the Pegasus analysis shows that “pickup trucks often create dangerous blind spots because of their tall, wide hoods, which can hide pedestrians (particularly small children) directly in front of the vehicle.”

These blind zones can extend 10 to 15 feet in front of a pickup, making it more difficult for a driver, particularly new teen drivers, to see pedestrians as they enter an intersection or when making left turns. Moreover, pickup trucks, because they are heavier, have longer stopping distances, and have higher centers of gravity makes them more likely to rollover when speeding, or driving on poor roads or weather conditions.

Tailgating

Tailgating is consistently identified across federal and independent datasets as one of the most common driver behaviors leading to rear‑end collisions. According to Youth.gov, “drivers do not always realize the consequences of their actions and are more likely to take risks such as tailgating.” Data show inexperienced new drivers are more likely to tailgate and be involved in rear-end crashes than experienced drivers.

Distractions Can Be Deadly

Distractions are any action that causes a driver to take their eyes, hands, or mind off driving. They are often chiefly external, such as phones or passengers. Behaviors, on the other hand, are the actions a driver makes in response to those distractions.

Teens are more susceptible to distractions because their youth and inexperience both magnify the impact of even the smallest distraction. “Although they account for a smaller share of licensed drivers, teens are disproportionately involved in fatal crashes, particularly those linked to speeding and distraction,” said Robin Saghian from Omega Law Group.

Cell phones/texting

Driving while on the phone creates tremendous distractions and has become the greatest cause of deadly car crashes. A new study by Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys found phone and texting use was the cause of more than 3,200 deadly crashes in 2022, accounting for roughly 12 percent of all fatalities on U.S. roads.

Distractions inside a vehicle

Using a navigation system, adjusting music or climate controls, reading or interacting with in‑car touch screens.
Eating and drinking.
Grooming: putting on makeup, combing your hair, or yes, shaving.
Smoking.
Adjusting mirrors, seat position, or dashboard controls.
Peer pressure or showing off for friends.

Distractions from outside a vehicle

Looking at crash scenes (A.K.A. “rubbernecking”)
Looking at roadside events, construction, or billboards
Sightseeing, looking at people, cars or objects outside the car that interest you.
Weather conditions.

Other distractions

Daydreaming, not paying attention to the road or being “zoned out.”
Driving with strong emotions keeps focus off of driving.
Loss of mindfulness if driving when upset or stressed.
Lack of concentration.

Strategies to Combat These Risks

If you expect drivers to adopt safe driving behaviors and routines, “The best and most important way [to have drivers follow these behaviors] is to model them yourself,” said certified driver’s education instructor, Steven Norman. Whether driving too fast, talking on the phone, or having a conversation with a passenger, “new drivers adopt the habits they observe from their parents,” added Norman. To reduce the likelihood of speeding, and used in a helpful, supportive manner, consider installing a real-time speed monitor.

It’s also important for parents to help newly licensed teens become experienced drivers by continuing to ride along as passengers in challenging situations, such as driving in heavy traffic or at night. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) notes, “Parents may also want to consider drafting a parent-teen driving agreement and carefully monitor driving progress, only increasing driving privileges when teens demonstrate maturity and skill.”

An agreement emphasizes responsibility and safety. It avoids seeming strict while still being firm and clear that consequences are part of a system designed for teen drivers to follow road rules. Also, if you feel it’s necessary, be prepared to take away driving privileges or provide additional training to improve driving skills.

Crash data shows experience alone doesn’t eliminate risk. While experienced drivers may not have lost their skills, they can become overconfident, lessening their vigilance and decreasing reaction times. The best strategy to avoid tendencies that lead to an accident? Go back to following driving fundamentals:

Pay attention at all times.
Increase the distance between you and other cars.
Slow down.
Pull over when you’re tired or drowsy and be cognizant of “invisible fatigue.”

“Practice situational awareness by anticipating braking in heavy traffic, slowing down when driving at night, in bad weather, or school and construction zones,” recommends Norman.

Experts

Erin Kemp is the consumer advocate at Bumper.com. She has extensive knowledge of automobiles, combined with my undying passion to make car ownership and maintenance more approachable. Her main strengths are the practical and cost-saving pointers that make her an indispensable guide for car owners and travelers. Erin has been featured in automotive-focused articles in publications, including, Jalopnik, GoBankingRates, and USA Today. (Phone interview Oct 30, 2025)

Robin Saghian, a California personal injury attorney and founding partner of Omega Law Group, is a recognized authority on roadway safety and motor vehicle accidents. His experience representing crash victims and deep understanding of driver behavior make him a trusted voice on teen driving safety. (Electronic communication Nov 5, 2025)

Steven Norman, M.Ed., is a certified Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and PennDOT certified behind the wheel driving instructor and driver’s license examiner currently teaching elementary physical education at Manavon Elementary School in the Phoenixville Area School District. In addition to his 15 years teaching driver’s education, Steven holds his PDE K-12 Principal, Curriculum and Instructional and Supervision Certificates. (Email interview, electronic communication Nov 8, 2025)