Stop That Now! 10 Bad Driving Habits You Need to Break

Automakers have made modern vehicles extremely safe, packed them with impressive features, and fed into our bad driving habits.

The added security you feel in your vehicle has most likely led to your practice of some of the worst driving habits. Automakers add advanced safety and technology to keep you secure, but that feeling might mean you’re looking at your smartphone, eating a meal, correcting your kids, or looking away from the road while driving.

Let’s dig into ten bad driving habits that many of us are guilty of every day.

Yellow Means Accelerate; Right?

When the light turns from green to yellow, that means you’ve got to step on the gas, right? The sooner you do, the more likely you’ll get through the light and avoid waiting at the red. Sometimes you don’t quite make it and could see a letter in the mail with a picture of you behind the wheel of your car and a fine for running a red light. This is a great alternative to running into someone that took off when the light turned green for them. Slow down when the light turns yellow; it won’t hurt you to wait a few minutes.

Merging should be an organic function; but it’s not

There’s a science and an orderly fashion to merging correctly. When traffic is heavy, and you must merge onto the next road if you don’t take your turn when it’s time, you’re guilty of a bad driving habit. Not driving when it’s your turn can be just as hazardous as being pushy. Typically, merging traffic should fit into oncoming traffic, much like the teeth of a zipper. Take your turn and keep the line moving.

Its ok to use your mobile phone while driving; right?

Wrong, wrong, and wrong again. One of the worst bad driving habits you can participate in is using your smartphone while driving. Even reaching up to push a single button can be distracting enough to cause a crash. You need to keep your eyes on the road. Of course, the explosion of delivery apps for food and products has led to more people using phones while driving than ever before. Put the phone down, don’t use it while driving, and stay safe. Nothing happening on that phone is as important as your life or the lives of other drivers on the road with you.

What does it say on that bumper?

While a bit of a joke there, you don’t need to be so close to the car ahead of you that you can read the fine print on their rear bumper. Following too closely is one of the most dangerous things you can do while driving. When you’re tailgating, you take away your reaction time to what the driver in front of you might do. Stay back and stay safe.

What’s that switch on the left of my steering column used for?

Turn signals are an important part of driving, and many drivers are guilty of the bad driving habit of not using them. Your signals tell other drivers your intention to turn, which allows them to know why you’re slowing down or which direction you’ll be going. In some areas, its illegal to make turns without signals. Get familiar with the switch on the left of the steering column, it’s actually pretty easy to use.

The red zones are not reserved parking for you

Marked parking areas with red paint, yellow paint, or has handicapped areas are not your parking spaces. Obviously, if you have a handicapped plaque, you can park in those areas. Too often, we see people parked next to the front of stores or in red zones because they think they’ll only be in the store for “just a minute.” These areas are for designated vehicles; if you’re not driving one of them, don’t park there.

Woah! I didn’t see that car next to me

Some modern vehicles have blind-spot indicators and intervention features, but not all cars come with these items. Blind spots are dangerous and can be problematic when making lane changes. Some people not only forget to use their turn signals, which should be used when changing lanes, but they have the bad driving habit of changing lanes without checking the blind spots to ensure it’s clear. Before changing lanes, check your mirrors, the blind area, and then signal before getting over. If this seems like too much work to change lanes, then don’t change your driving lane at all.

Click it right; Your seatbelt could save your life

Although vehicles made over the past few decades have come with seatbelt warning sounds and lights, some people still don’t use them. In fact, some drivers get around using seatbelts by pulling them across behind their bodies and clicking the belt. This gets around the annoying light and sound. This is a terrible way to use/not use a seatbelt. According to the NHTSA, at least 27 million Americans still don’t buckle up. That’s a high number of drivers not using this simple primary safety device.

The driver’s seat isn’t your personal makeup area

Distracted driving doesn’t only refer to driving while using a cell phone. Anything you do that takes your attention away from the road is considered a distraction. Some people practice such bad driving habits that you’ll see them eating, drinking, reading, applying makeup, or attending to the needs of children while driving. What should these drivers do? They should pull over, complete their tasks, and then continue driving. Driving with some form of distraction is commonplace and something most of us are guilty of.

Should you protect your car by taking up four spaces in the parking lot?

We’ve all seen it, and a few of us are guilty of it. Taking up more than one parking space in a parking lot is an extremely bad habit. This is inconsiderate and rude. It can also be dangerous as other cars might think there’s room for their vehicle in one of the spots. Instead of taking up multiple spots, walk from the end of the parking lot where fewer cars park. You’ll only need one spot, and no one else will likely park near your precious car.