It often feels like many of the driving mistakes you see are just because people violate one fundamental rule of driving: They fail to keep their eyes on the road.
A driver who is looking over at a passenger may not see a green light go to yellow and then red, for instance, causing them to run the light. A driver who is looking down to change the music to a new song may not realize how sharply the road turns, sending them into the oncoming lanes. A driver who is sending a text message may not notice that traffic stopped ahead of them. There are many examples of similar problems.
Why don’t people just keep their eyes on the road? Part of the reason is experience and complacency. You often hear people talk about how inexperience causes accidents, but the other side of the coin is also true. An experienced driver can be overconfident in their skills and take unnecessary chances.
At first, a driver may stare wide-eyed at the road, trying to take everything in. It’s all new and they’re a bit nervous. After ten years of driving, though, they grow complacent. They think they could almost do it with their eyes closed. They start to take the risks less seriously because they’ve never been in a major accident.
When people stop treating driving like something they need to work hard to excel at, performance decreases. That can lead to accidents. Those who get injured in these accidents must know all of the legal options they have to seek compensation for medical bills and other costs. If you’re injured due to someone else’s mistake behind the wheel of a car, get help with your claim as soon as possible.