Defensive driving is of limited utility when dealing with motorists who pose dangers on California roads. Reckless behavior may be so unpredictable that victims can’t avoid collisions. These drivers often violate laws to keep people safe, furthering the risks to commuters, bicyclists and pedestrians. As accident statistics reveal, reckless drivers cause many fatal accidents.
Reckless drivers could embrace aggressive actions, such as cutting people off, tailgating, driving on the road’s shoulder, or speeding. Speeding is a common reason for many crashes since controlling a vehicle proves challenging at unsafe speeds.
Ultimately, when a driver’s behavior shows reckless disregard for others, the driver puts themselves and fellow commuters in danger. Accidents caused by reckless drivers often result in wrongful deaths and catastrophic injuries.
Reckless behavior does not always involve moving violations or driving under the influence. A reckless driver may be someone too sick to operate a vehicle but still chooses to get behind the wheel. Someone so sick they cannot concentrate or react when needed could be at fault for a collision, such as when not stopping to avoid rear-ending a stalled vehicle.
Distracted driving is often negligent, as many incidents of pedestrian deaths resulting from motorists being unaware of their surroundings. Drivers must keep their attention focused on the road to avoid car accidents. Hands should be where they belong, too. Talking on a smartphone while driving is very risky, and so is using a hands-free system when the driver ceases to pay attention to traffic.
Reckless driving is a form of negligence. When negligence leads to injuries, the driver could face a civil claim. Accident victims who suffer financial losses because of a reckless driver might find a lawsuit to be the appropriate way to recover losses.
