drive carelessly

USAGE SUMMARY

'drive carelessly' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to someone who is driving in an unsafe manner, typically without due care or attention. For example: "The police officer warned him not to drive carelessly," or "Jack was driving carelessly and ended up in an accident."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Sometimes, drivers exceed speed limits because they do not consider their existence important or because they drive carelessly [30].

European Transport Research Review

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

He drove carelessly, Sa said, making call after call on his cell, talking excitedly about the conversation with Chhonn, about how they now knew whose wood it was.

Vice

Because the city of Detroit is one of the most populated cities in the U.S., there is a huge amount of vehicles in the streets that, in many cases, are driven carelessly or ignorantly.

WikiHow

He denies driving carelessly by crossing on to the opposite carriageway, into the path of a car driven by a Polish tourist, Zbigniew Suski, who had to take evasive action.

Independent

SwagBot is the vanguard of our incoming steer-driving overlords, its independent all-wheel drive churning carelessly the mud in which once toiled our manly forbears and their snorting charges.

TechCrunch

Imagine you carelessly drive your car and injure a pedestrian, who then sues you.

Huffington Post

Without enough traffic patrols, he says, "people who drive dangerously, recklessly and carelessly don't get caught".

The Guardian

"All this striving after perfection, and to what end?" However, he is driven nearly mad by carelessly peeled potatoes, badly washed lettuce and what he views as mindless innovation.

The New York Times

Stronger encryption doesn't just keep information from law enforcement agencies – it also protects people from hackers who might try to grab their data by breaking into a device, whether by stealing it or by poking around a carelessly discarded hard drive.

The Guardian - Tech

Lumb perished carelessly when he drove at a wide, swinging ball from Barker and edged to Chopra at slip.. Taylor then acquired just a single before falling in unusual fashion, hit-wicket, having damaged his own stumps when forced back by a brisk delivery from Wright.

The Guardian - Sport

We need people to suggest bits and bobs that go into a spaceship's engine (from the duct tape holding the improbability drive to the fuel widget to the candy wrapper carelessly shoved in between the doohicky next to the exhaust pipe).

The Guardian - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "drive carelessly", ensure the context clearly indicates that the driver's actions pose a risk to themselves or others. For instance, specify the dangerous maneuvers or conditions contributing to the carelessness.

Common error

Avoid using "drive carelessly" when the situation involves deliberate recklessness or intentional harm. Carelessness implies a lack of attention or thought, not malicious intent.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "drive carelessly" functions as a verb phrase describing the manner in which someone operates a vehicle. As Ludwig AI states, it's correct and refers to unsafe driving. It typically acts as an adverbial modifier specifying how the action of driving is performed.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Wiki

25%

Science

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "drive carelessly" is a grammatically sound way to describe unsafe driving habits, as noted by Ludwig AI. While not exceedingly common, it is used in various contexts, particularly in news reports, wiki articles, and scientific publications. The phrase suggests a lack of attention or proper care while operating a vehicle, implying potential risks to oneself and others. Related phrases like "drive recklessly" or "drive negligently" offer similar meanings with slightly different nuances. When using "drive carelessly", be mindful of the context and ensure it accurately reflects a lack of attention rather than intentional misconduct. Remember to avoid overstating the degree of negligence. All things considered, while not a highly frequent phrase, "drive carelessly" remains a usable and understandable expression in contemporary English.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

drive recklessly

Focuses on the awareness of risk and disregard for safety while driving.

drive negligently

Emphasizes a legal perspective, indicating a failure to exercise reasonable care while driving.

drive irresponsibly

Highlights the lack of responsibility and consideration for others while driving.

drive without caution

Focuses on the absence of carefulness and circumspection when driving.

drive inattentively

Highlights the lack of attention and focus on the task of driving.

handle a vehicle carelessly

Wider scope, can be applied to any vehicle not only to cars.

operate a vehicle negligently

Similar to 'drive negligently', but uses more technical, legal wording.

drive hazardously

Highlights potential danger and risk more than simply carelessness.

drive with disregard

Emphasizes disregard for traffic rules or other drivers.

drive like a maniac

Informal and exaggerated way to describe extremely dangerous driving.

FAQs

What does it mean to "drive carelessly"?

To "drive carelessly" means to operate a vehicle without paying adequate attention to safety or following traffic laws, potentially endangering yourself and others.

What are some synonyms for "drive carelessly"?

Synonyms include "drive recklessly", "drive negligently", and "drive irresponsibly", each emphasizing different aspects of unsafe driving.

How does "drive carelessly" differ from "drive recklessly"?

"Drive carelessly" suggests a lack of attention or thought, while "drive recklessly" implies a conscious disregard for known risks.

Is "driving carelessly" a legal term?

Yes, "driving carelessly" or similar terms like 'careless driving' are often used in legal contexts to describe a violation of traffic laws due to a lack of reasonable care. "Drive negligently" also emphasizes the legal aspect, but this term is less common.