Let’s face it, for many of us, driver’s ed was many years ago. Throughout that time, we or those close around us have adapted to some not-so-safe driving habits. Many of those bad habits are not only illegal but also incredibly dangerous to the community and us. Although states have dedicated much of their time to making sure certain bad habits are illegal and cracking down on offenders, we can always do more. The following list entails some of the worst driving habits that you should avoid.
Not Using Turn Signals
It may be one of the easiest things to do, but you know that you may not do it all the time. Therefore, first on our list of bad habits is not using your turn signal when you are supposed to. Manufacturers have attempted to make the turn signal switch as accessible as possible along with adding an alert when it is activated, yet many do not adhere to this — not using your signal when turning can cause a severe accident. You’re probably thinking to yourself, what if nobody is behind me, should I still use it? The answer to that and any scenario is yes. Although no one may be behind you, that does not mean you are in the clear. Cars come out of nowhere and will rapidly turn if they think that you’re simply going forward. Take a half-second and utilize the turn signal to make cars and pedestrians aware of your intended action.
Road Rage
We’ve all been there: A car cuts us off or almost makes us get into an accident. You can feel your blood boiling while telling yourself that it’s not fair that they get ahead of everyone who’s waited patiently. Although it’s understandable to be upset, we must always understand that their actions, no matter how annoying, are not personal. You should also understand that becoming angry does not give you the right to become the guilty party. Road range includes any aggressive driving actions such as speeding, improperly changing lanes, tailgating, or ignoring traffic lights. Stop and think about the consequences the next time you feel like losing control and putting everyone in danger.
Not Wearing a Seatbelt
According to the NHTSA, an astonishing 27 million Americans admit to not buckling up before they begin driving. The importance of buckling up is one that sadly gets overlooked by teenagers, especially. Through various campaigns such as “click it or ticket,” many states and local governments are doubling down on making sure that people are wearing their seatbelt. Want to know how important wearing your seatbelt is? Additional statistics from the NHTSA state that 37,133 people were killed in 2017, and 14,955 of those people could have survived if they simply had buckled themselves in.
You might not notice your bad habits; after all, they’re called habits for a reason — you simply don’t notice them. However, this is no excuse not to attempt to correct them. Make sure you do what you can to improve your driving so you can avoid getting into an accident.
Here’s another article you might like: Women Get a Bad Rap About Driving—But Do They Deserve It?