When thinking about car accidents, the first things that often come to mind are speeding, aggression and recklessness. Fortunately, not all road users partake in such activities, although a significant number still do.
Being cautious is generally thought of as a useful tool in driving safety, but does it ever go too far? At times, cautiousness can turn into anxiety, which has the potential to impact a driver’s ability. Nervous drivers pose a risk to themselves and others, and here’s why:
Poor judgment
Nerves and heightened stress can lead to a driver panicking. Panic serves no useful purpose on the road, and it often leads to people making bad decisions. In densely populated areas, or during rush hour, a nervous driver might become overwhelmed, leading them to take reckless actions. For example, their need to get out of there might be so strong that they cut in and out of lanes to find an exit. Or, perhaps they engage reverse gear instead of moving forward, causing a crash that the other motorist had no chance of anticipating? In any case, errors in judgment carried out by nervous drivers have the potential to cause serious injury.
Driving too slowly
Nervous drivers are often intimidated by the potential speed their vehicle can reach. A response to this is often to travel at nowhere near the capacity of the vehicle, and more importantly, under the speed limit. Speed limits are imposed with the purpose of ensuring a safe flow of traffic. In the same way as speeding drivers, slow drivers can obstruct this flow and significantly increase the chances of an accident occurring.
As a road user in Louisiana, you should be able to travel safely. In the unfortunate event that you have been harmed in a collision, be sure to take note of your legal rights in this area.