We all have bad habits. Biting our nails, swearing, watching too much TV, picking and pulling at our hair…while these common habits are in some ways completely harmless, some bad habits could cost us dearly. 

Here we’ll explore the top dangerous driving habits that we all need to break. 

car vehicle driving

Driving without insurance

Driving without insurance is illegal. It’s that simple. And if you get caught up in a car accident and you don’t have any cover you could be left facing serious consequences. Insurance can be a little complicated and some drivers take out policies that aren’t providing them with the cover they actually need. Educating yourself on the difference between third party car insurance and comprehensive will help you make the right choice when it comes to insurance. From having the legal costs covered to hire car options after a theft, damage caused by an uninsured driver and towing services. It’s never been easier to tailor your insurance needs into a policy that suits your life and your budget. If you don’t have a policy in place, click the link above. 

Not using your signals

We all make comments about how the driver in front failed to use their turn signals correctly. Yet it’s a bad habit that many of us share! A real bugbear amongst Australian drivers is the lack of clarity from other road users. By not using signals correctly, you leave your actions to interpretation. You could be in the left lane intending to move over but without signally correctly, you could hit the car that’s already moved into the right! And it’s not just motorists who find this incredibly irritating, pedestrians, cyclists and even joggers are put at risk when we indulge in this irritating habit. 

Tailgating 

When you’re being tailgated, it’s incredibly stressful and intrusive. You’re suddenly under pressure to speed up and potentially take dangerous risks. However, from the tailgater’s point of view, they’re frustrated because the car in front isn’t moving quickly enough. The circumstances around tailgating differ, however despite the conditions, tailgating is incredibly dangerous and it’s a nasty habit we should all kick to the kerb. We can all reduce the likelihood of being rear-ended, simply by keeping our distance from the vehicle in front.

Not wearing a seatbelt

It’s hard to believe that some people still don’t buckle up when they get in the car. Maybe it’s because they’re not going far, or because they don’t believe a crash will occur. Whatever the reason behind it, this dangerous habit needs to be stopped! 

And finally, using a phone whilst driving

You don’t have to be making a phone call to be using your phone behind the wheel. Whether you’re checking your emails, responding to social media comments, or even streaming TV shows and movies (yes, really) using your phone whilst driving is illegal and dangerous. We’re all in the habit of reaching for our phones when we hear a notification but indulging whilst behind the wheel is putting your life and the lives of those around you at risk.