The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed a list of driver behaviors that cause and/or contribute to fatal crashes every year. These behaviors can be broken down into the following categories:
| BEHAVIOR | Number | Percent |
| Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted limit or racing | 8,746 | 17.2 |
| Under the influence of alcohol or drugs/medications | 5,164 | 10.1 |
| Failure to yield right of way | 3,728 | 7.3 |
| Failure to keep in proper lane | 3,381 | 6.6 |
| Operating vehicle in careless manner | 3,302 | 6.5 |
| Distracted driving (phone, talking, eating, object) | 3,008 | 5.9 |
| Failure to obey traffic signs, signals or officer | 2,054 | 4.0 |
| Operating vehicle in erratic, reckless or negligent manner | 1,880 | 3.7 |
| Overcorrecting/oversteering | 1,569 | 3.1 |
| Vision obscured by rain, snow, glare lights, building, trees | 1,543 | 3.0 |
| Drowsy, asleep, fatigued, ill, blacked out | 1,240 | 2.4 |
| Driving wrong way on one-way traffic or wrong side of road | 1,223 | 2.4 |
| Swerving or avoiding due to wind, slippery surface | 1,148 | 2.3 |
| Making improper turn | 419 | 0.8 |
| Other factors | 5,549 | 10.9 |
Understanding these behaviors and their respective contributions to fatal crashes can raise awareness among drivers and lead to lower future fatalities. For many of us driving is second nature. We have been driving so long that we often do not even think about what we are doing. Paying attention when driving will avoid all of the above listed behaviors. In an impatient world, we need to slow ourselves down. Doing so can save your life and the lives of others.