Those who drive in the Bay Area to commute to work, take their kids to school or shop for groceries frequently encounter irresponsible or reckless drivers who engage in many forms of unsafe driving, including tailgating, making unsafe lane changes, speeding, running red lights and other dangerous driving practices. When experiencing these dangerous driving practices, it is easy to wonder how on earth such a driver got a driver’s license. However, the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test suggests that almost twenty percent of drivers probably should not have a driver’s license.
The test results revealed that 36.9 million drivers currently on the road did not have sufficient knowledge of traffic laws and safe driving practices to pass the driving test required to obtain a driver’s license. How serious is the problem? Eight-five percent of drivers who took the test did not know what course of action to take when confronted by a solid yellow traffic light. Even more troubling, seventy-five percent of those who took the test did not know what constituted a safe following distance. While anyone who has ever taken the driver’s test knows that there are sometimes some obscure questions, questions regarding yellow lights and following distance involve the most rudimentary traffic safety rules.
Drivers who lack a thorough understanding of traffic safety law and safe driving practices face an increased risk of being involved in a serious San Francisco car accident. The study suggests the potential value of follow up refresher courses to ensure that drivers understand how to operate their vehicle safely. Some of the findings from the study include:
Unsafe Elderly Driver Myth: While many consider elderly drivers to be the least safe drivers, drivers age 60-65 had the highest average score on the National Drivers Test. While accident data reveals that elderly drivers have accident rates comparable to inexperienced teen drivers, the study suggests that accidents involving older drivers are more related to declining physical abilities rather than lack of knowledge of how to drive safely.
Males Have Higher Driving Safety Knowledge: The study found that the average score for men was almost eight percentage points higher than for women drivers. To the extent that knowledge of traffic safety laws and practices is related to lower car accident rates, this would tend to lend credence to the notion that men are safer drivers. However, this does not take into account the relative likelihood of each gender engaging in more dangerous driving behavior like speeding, tailgating, unsafe passing and similar aggressive driving behavior despite knowing that it is prohibited and unsafe.
West Coast Drivers Not the Worst or Best: Drivers in the Northeast scored the lowest on the test whereas drivers in the Midwest had the highest average score.
While the results of the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test indicate that almost one in five drivers lack the knowledge to drive safely, an even bigger concern may be those who disregard such knowledge. Most motor vehicle accidents are preventable if drivers obey basic safety guidelines that are well known to all drivers including:
- Do not speed
- Avoid tailgating
- Give full attention to your driving
- Never drive after consuming alcohol or drugs that may impair driving or make you drowsy
- Be cautious when children are present (i.e. residential neighborhoods, areas around parks, school zones)
- Obey all traffic signals and signs
- Exercise extra care in construction zones
While these are critical driving safety issues, drivers often ignore these basic guidelines not out of ignorance but conscious indifference. If all drivers would make a commitment to engage in these practices on a daily basis, serious Bay Area car accidents could be virtually eliminated.
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If you are involved in a San Francisco car accident, our experienced San Francisco car accident attorneys have assisted many victims injured in motor vehicle accidents in the Bay Area. We invite you to contact The Law Office of Ian Zimmerman for your free initial consultation. We are open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., speak Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, and are available for weekend, evening, home and hospital meetings and visits. We also offer free initial consultations and work exclusively on a contingency fee basis so that you pay nothing if we don’t win your case.