Don’t Be That Driver! Bad Motoring Behaviours You Need To Avoid
Are you responsible for incurring the wrath of other drivers on the road?
Are you knowingly or unknowingly risking your life, and the lives of others when you’re behind the wheel?
Have you become famous on YouTube for your irresponsible driving behaviour?
Are you that driver?
You might be, especially if some of what we say in this article relates to you. If you do recognise yourself, take a look at our becoming a better driver article and improve the way you behave on the roads. For all of our sakes!
Are you the driver who…
Causes more traffic jams than the nation’s roadworks. Sure, you don’t want to be done for speeding, but if you’re moving at a snail’s pace because a) you’re over-cautious, or b) you like to sightsee when you’re on the road, or c) you are being purposefully antagonistic, then you are single-handedly responsible for slowing everybody else down because of your ‘careful’ driving. The speed limits are there for a purpose; stick to them, before you become the next victim of road rage!
The man you frustrated yesterday! (image)
Parks in more than one car parking space. Okay, we understand that parking a car is a skill, but practice does make perfect. So, if you’re the person who regularly oversteps the boundaries when parking your car, you are going to make life very difficult for other drivers. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a rush to get into the supermarket, and it doesn’t matter if you have to take ten attempts to get it right, park your car properly for the sake of anybody else who has the need for a parking spot, wherever they may be.
Thinks amber means ‘go faster’ on the traffic lights. In most countries, the lights are the same. Red means stop, green means go, and amber means slow down (and not drive faster to beat the red light). Putting your foot down at amber may speed up your journey, but it might also fast-track you into a car accident, police chase, or a life or death collision with a pedestrian. Be sensible then, and despite the inconvenience of having to stop for a couple of minutes, a little pause is better than a lifetime of pain and unhappiness because you have hurt or killed somebody.
Gets into the car after drinking too much. Cab fares can be expensive; we get it. And walking home in the cold after a night out drinking isn’t anybody’s idea of fun. But you are going to feel the expense if you need to get a DUI lawyer and/or pay court fines because of your behaviour. Your fun on the roads will be curbed if you are banned for driving. And again, you are in danger of killing yourself, your passengers, and other road users if you get behind the wheel after drinking one too many, as your driving ability will be impaired, no matter how confident you feel getting into your car. Hire a cab, get a bus, grab a lift with a friend, or take that walk and clear your head to banish any dangerous thoughts.
Forgets to turn off his indicator. Are you going to turn at the next junction? Are you going to pull your car over to the side? Are you going to change lane? Are you? We don’t know, because you have failed to turn off your indicator. Sure, most indicators turn themselves off after a short length of time, but that isn’t always the case, so manual intervention is sometimes needed. So listen. The next time you hear that ticking sound, know that it probably isn’t your watch. You have failed to turn off your indicator, and you are confusing the heck out of the driver who is following you from behind.
Scares the proverbial crap out of cyclists. They have as much right to be on the roads as you do, so while they may get in your way at times, you need to show a little respect. Check your blind spot when turning into a junction, patiently slow down when you can’t yet overtake them, and resist the urge to beep your horn when you drive alongside them. Most cyclists are following the correct protocol, and while you will get the occasional idiot who decides it’s okay to weave all over the roads or rides alongside their biking partner when cycling, you don’t want to incur the wrath of the law by doing anything stupid yourself.
Gets angry when behind the wheel. Being on the road is stressful. You will have to deal with the cyclists we just mentioned. You will have to deal with drivers who exhibit the behaviours we have talked about thus far. You will have pedestrians who step on to the road when they shouldn’t do. And you will have all kinds of challenges to navigate when you’re trying to get from A to B. But be patient. Getting angry will only raise your blood pressure, antagonise others, and put you at risk of an accident. If you regularly get angry when you’re behind the wheel, follow these tips to help you calm down.
Who thinks he’s James Bond. Probably with your James Bond soundtrack playing in the background, you might be overly careless when on the road. Speeding on the highways and byways, wheel spinning at every opportunity, tailgating ‘bad guys,’ pretending you are involved in a car chase (which you will be if the police catch up with you)… these are just some of the dumb and downright crazy habits you get up to if you have that James Bond mentality! Our advice is this, swap your music for something classical to calm your antics, live out your action hero fantasies when playing video games, and practice your Bond moves in the safety of your own home, somersaulting into cover behind your sofa instead of doing something as mad as this when you’re out in your car. RIP Roger Moore!
Don’t be any of those drivers. Do the right thing, follow good habits when out in your car, and you will not only enhance your time on the roads but also the time of everybody else around you. Peace out!