There are a lot of habits that Texas drivers could probably recognize are not safe practices when behind the wheel. Although not drunk or drugged driving, these so-called driver fails, that is, failures in good judgment, are all potentially dangerous. In many cases, they lead to serious or even fatal car accidents.

Interestingly, according to a survey of drivers, the most common bad habit to which drivers admit is eating while driving. Around two out of three drivers admit to taking a bite or a sip of coffee or pop, while also trying to operate their vehicle. While motorists in the Houston area might not think of this as a form of distracted driving, that describes this behavior.

Many other distracted driving behaviors not related to cell phone technology also appeared on the list of driver fails. For instance, 55 percent of motorists said that they had tried to change their in-car music while driving, and another 22 percent said that they had tried to attend to the needs of their child or their pet. Over 5 percent of drivers admitted to trying to apply their makeup while also driving.

Of course, more than a fair share of drivers admitted to both reading text messages and sending texts while driving. Over 25 percent of drivers said that they had read text messages, while just a hair under 25 percent said that they had composed a text message while behind the wheel.

This survey aptly describes these sort of distracted driving behaviors as driver fails because they all serious lapses in judgement. Texas drivers should be well aware that any type of distraction, even one that lasts a second or two, can cause a major accident.