Do you believe that you are an above-average driver? If you ask people this question, most of them will tell you that they think they are. In fact, in one study, a full 80% of drivers claimed that they felt their own skills were above average compared to those they had to share the road with.
Statistically speaking, this is an obvious impossibility. Most drivers cannot be above average. But this underscores a major problem, which is that many people think they’re better at driving than they actually are. Could this lead to car accidents?
How it creates risks
This overconfidence in their abilities can create risks in a few different ways. For one thing, drivers may think that it’s safe to do something dangerous or even illegal, such as texting and driving. They think that they are so talented that it won’t really have a negative effect on them. But it will, and many of these drivers will only realize what that effect looks like after they have caused an accident.
It can also lead to critical errors in judgment. For instance, many of these drivers may believe that they can hit the brakes quickly and stop if needed, so they don’t think it’s that dangerous to break the speed limit or tailgate. But studies show that it actually takes about a second and a half for a driver to react and hit the brakes, no matter how good they think they are. Someone who only has a one or two-second following distance may think that they’re safe, but they could cause a serious rear-end accident.
Even if you are a safe and careful driver, you could be injured by those around you on the road. If so, make sure you know how to seek compensation for lost wages, medical bills and the like.