Top 10 Forgotten Driving Laws (Written and Unwritten)
As an experienced driver, it may have been years since you took your driving test or even glanced at a driver’s manual. While you may trust your knowledge of traffic safety rules, the truth is that no one can be expected to remember all that was learned in a driving safety course taken years ago. At Naqvi Injury Law, our Las Vegas car accident attorneys urge you to protect yourself against car accidents and injuries by refreshing your memory of often forgotten state driving laws.
Protect Yourself Against Car Accident and Practice Forgotten Nevada Driving Laws
According to the Zero Fatalities Nevada campaign, more than 1,200 people are seriously injured as the result of car accidents on roads throughout our state each year, while these injuries prove fatal for more than 300 others. This is in addition to those hurt or killed as the result of motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle accidents each year. Many of these could have been prevented had drivers been following simple traffic safety rules. The following are the top ten forgotten driving laws; some are unwritten, while others come directly from the Nevada Driver’s Handbook:
Written Driving Laws
- Failing to properly signal turns and lane changes: Nevada law requires you to signal as a way of informing others before turning or changing lanes.
- Running amber and red traffic lights: Racing to catch a changing traffic signal or running red lights puts you at risk for collisions.
- Committing improper turns at signalized intersections: Improper turns can result in dangerous and potentially fatal side-impact collisions.
- Failing to drive in the rightmost lane: The left-hand lane is reserved for passing vehicles. Nevada drivers are required to remain in the right-hand lane as a way of maintaining traffic flow.
- Following too closely: Tailgating other vehicles is considered aggressive driving behavior. If the other driver stops suddenly, it increases your chances of a rear-end collision.
Unwritten Driving Rules
- Impatience: Losing patience with other drivers or in traffic makes car accidents more likely to occur.
- Driving is a privilege and not a right: Failing to respect this privilege by not following traffic laws could result in the loss of your driver’s license.
- Being a traffic parent: Be a mature motorist and model traffic safety practices for other drivers, especially for any teen drivers in your family.
- Give everybody room to get where they are going: Stay in your lane and avoid weaving or driving outside of the lines.
- Always leave a note if you’ve damaged a car: If you are involved in a parking lot fender bender or dent another vehicle, be accountable and let the other driver know.
- Bonus Tip: Pay Attention!
Bonus: Pay attention!
In the following posts, we will be covering these traffic safety rules in more detail. As a bonus tip, our Las Vegas car accident attorneys have included information about distracted driving, one of the leading causes of motor vehicle injuries that should be entirely preventable.