Did you know that every twelve minutes, someone dies in a vehicle accident? Most of these accidents are caused by our own bad habits. Americans are considered to be some of the worst drivers due to their dangerous habits such as road rage, traffic violations, and simple distractions. I, and many others I am sure, have at times been guilty of all three.
Road rage is a growing problem with drivers of all ages. I know that we have all witnessed an irate driver. One instance that stands out in my mind is the time I was traveling on Highway 17 from Richmond Hill into Savannah. It was about nine o"clock at night and I was going the speed limit. A truck was speeding excessively behind me and began to tailgate. He didn't even turn off his bright lights, which is exceptionally rude and dangerous. Even though we were in a no pass zone, he was in such a hurry that he passed me on a curve with an oncoming car not far away. Besides tailgating, people express their anger on the road by yelling obscenities and giving inappropriate hand gestures. There have been several times I have heard a person shouting at the car in front of or next to them. My mother told me that she hates riding with me because I drive too aggressively. Once, when she was with me, I was changing lanes because I thought the car in front of me was going too slow. My mom became tense because she said I came too close to the vehicle's rear end.
In addition to road rage, traffic violations are numerous among American drivers. Just yesterday I was at the intersection of Abercorn and White Bluff Road, and about five vehicles ran .
the red light. My cousin received a ticket for running the light at that intersection. I once witnessed .
an SUV crash head on into an old suburban after running a red light. Another violation, that many may not pay attention to, is not using the turn signal, also known as the blinker, when turning or changing lanes.