Most senior drivers are good drivers, but they can become better by learning the top five bad-driving practices of seniors. We have the experience and judgment that only comes with decades behind the wheel, but we might have also developed some bad habits, things we do without thinking, and it never occurs to us that they're dangerous... until we have an automobile accident. Too many car crashes are avoidable. The causes of car crashes are controllable. Here are the top five mistakes you might be making that can lead to auto accidents. Avoid these and you're more likely to avoid becoming a statistic.

Top Five Seniors Bad Driving Practices

1. Doing More Than Just Driving

Put away the cell phone, fold up the map, and don't try to freshen your makeup. Multi-tasking while driving can get you, or someone else, seriously injured. Focusing on your driving, and only on your driving, can help you avoid unnecessary accidents. If you need to make a call, look up your route on the map, wipe up spilled coffee, or tune the radio, find a safe spot to pull over and get off the road before you do it.

2. Tailgating

Following too close is a very bad habit. If the car in front of you makes a sudden stop and you can't stop in time, the resulting accident likely will be judged to be your fault. So remember the two-second rule, then add at least one more. Older drivers often have a slight lag in reaction time so compensating is a good idea. Give yourself a three-second cushion at normal speed between yourself and the car in front of you. In foggy or wet weather, double that time.

3. Failure to Yield on a Left-Hand Turn

A very large percentage of accidents involving older drivers happen in intersections, and most of them happen when you're making a left-hand turn. For senior drivers, the most common problem is failure to yield to oncoming cars. Often, we just don't see them, or we misjudge their speed. When you have to turn left, check the traffic and pedestrians in every direction, including the street you're turning onto, think about the speed of any oncoming cars, and wait until you know it's safe to make the turn.

4. Merging Incorrectly

Merging onto a major highway or into a roundabout can be one of the scariest parts of driving. The secret to safely merging onto a freeway is to stay with the flow of traffic. Slowing too much, or stopping to wait for an opening can be dangerous. It will be difficult to get your speed back up quickly to match the flow of traffic so you can enter the lane safely. It can also force drivers behind you to have to slow or stop, increasing the danger for everyone. The rule here is "Go With the Flow."

5. Backing Up

The last of the top five seniors bad-driving practices is putting the car in reverse and rolling is a prime time for accidents. It's especially dangerous in crowded, busy parking lots. Don't rely only on your mirrors to tell you it's safe to back up. Always look out the windows. Turn around and look over your shoulder to be absolutely sure there is no one behind you. Then double check in your mirrors, move slowly and continue to check until you are safely clear and moving forward again.