After you’ve been driving on the road for many years—or even decades—it’s only natural for you to develop habits in the car. Some habits are beneficial, while others are more harmful than you may realize. Before you get yourself into trouble, recognize these dangerous driving habits to avoid and correct them as soon as possible. This could save you from an accident or ticket!
Distracted Driving
You’ll hear about distracted driving everywhere you go; usually, people think of texting or talking on a cell phone. But distracted driving also involves other actions that take your focus off the road, if only for a short time. Seconds can mean everything, especially when driving fast. Just one moment could mean the difference between noticing an animal jumping out onto the road or hitting it full force.
The following actions can lead to distracted driving:
- Eating
- Fiddling with the radio
- Using your phone or other devices
- Interacting with passengers
- Doing hair or makeup
- Searching the car for something
Always aim to have a passenger handle distractions in the car when possible. If you’re driving alone and must handle something yourself, pull off before allowing it to distract you from the road.
Driving With Heightened Emotions
Many people use driving as a way to simmer down after a stressful day or an outburst of anger, but you should consider the impact emotions can have on the way you drive. Driving while angry or stressed out can lead to reckless driving or even road rage. If you drive while anxious or sad, you may suffer slower reaction times. Learning how to control your emotions while on the road is challenging, but absolutely essential if you need to break free of a road rage habit.
Forgetting To Turn Headlights On
While many cars today come with automatic headlights, not all of us are so lucky. Forgetting to turn your headlights on is a dangerous driving habit to avoid that can put you and other drivers on the road in danger. It may be difficult to remember all the time, but turn your headlights on when your wipers are on or when the sun goes down.