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Do you know what’s worse than a speeding ticket? A reckless driving ticket! You may think you’re safe because you never speed that much, but the police are watching. Drivers often make simple mistakes that can snowball into much bigger problems.

Bad driving habits that can lead to a reckless driving ticket 

Drivers get pulled over every day for a variety of reasons. The most common issues that end up in a ticket are related to speeding. 

But you can find a police car with its lights in your rearview mirror for making small mistakes, even if you aren’t speeding.

Reckless driving relates to any type of driving behavior that demonstrates a disregard for the safety of others. Along with being illegal, it’s dangerous and one of the most common causes of accidents and injuries. 

One of the most common reasons for reckless behavior is not using your turn signals. I see cars suddenly merge and turn while failing to signal every day, it’s pretty common. 

The failure to signal intentions may result in confusion, misinterpretations, and the inability to interpret a driver’s actions. It could increase the risk of side collisions, rear-end collisions, intersection accidents, and merging accidents. 

Another common act of reckless driving involves tailgating. You might be following a car too closely, by accident. People often zone out behind the wheel. 

A cop issuing a ticket to a sad man
Man getting a reckless driving ticket | iStock

However, some incidents of tailgating are related to aggression. Road rage spawns anger, carelessness, and accidents. Police officers don’t want things to escalate.

Following someone so closely can reduce your reaction time, making it difficult to avoid collisions. The other driver might slam on the brakes, leaving you without enough time to safely come to a complete stop. 

Failure to check your blindspots is another way to get hit with a reckless driver violation. Blind spots limit your ability to safely see around your vehicle. 

By not taking a second to check over your shoulder you could miss pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. 

Failure to check your blindspots increases the risk of accidents while reversing, merging, and changing lanes. 

You don’t only need to avoid speeding while you’re behind the wheel. Be alert and pay attention to traffic and traffic safety laws. It only takes a few extra seconds to hit your signal, check your blind spots, and stay off someone’s butt.

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Staff Writer

Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.