Those Bad Driving Habits That Wreck Your Car
We all have bad habits. Whether it be smoking, drinking too much or not exercising enough, everyone has their hangups and things which they wish they did differently.
However, some bad habits we have could be a little more damaging to ourselves and to others, and this is why today we want to talk about driving. They always say that once you pass out driving test you will find your own flow and driving style, but often this style will end up being illegal or could be dangerous to you and other road users. If you want to avoid calling a personal injury lawyer this year, take heed of our list and avoid these bad driving habits.
1. Dragging the brakes downhill
Dragging the brakes is a practice which you should never do because you will wear down the brakes far too quickly. If you are looking to make the most of your car, stay off the brakes downhill until you choose a lighter gear and press gently. The last thing you want is to wear them down to a point where they don’t work when you need them to.
2. Resting your hand on the gearstick
This is a habit which a lot of us do, and unfortunately it is usually an involuntary response and something we can’t control. However, if you are to rest your hand on the geartstick all the time you might apply pressure to the gear stick which pushes it down to make contact with a rotating collar below. This is supposed to only be used when changing gear and excess contact can damage the car.
3. Pushing hard on the accelerator in high gear
When moving a vehicle there are several parts which need to communicate and work together to move the car. The gear changes we do while driving move plates which are inside the engine to allow for a smooth drive. The noise you hear when you need to think of changing gear is the revs of the engine and this is how fast those plates are rotating. To make sure the car is happy we need to keep rotation steady. When driving your car make sure not to accelerate too harshly when the revs are low because this makes the car work harder. Instead, wait for the car to make that familiar hum and then do it.
4. Overloading
Cars are getting bigger and bigger by the year, and we now are in a situation where we have a whole lot of space in our cars and no idea how to fill it. But before you cram everything under the sun into your modest vehicle; ask yourself whether or not you actually need all of these items. Overloading a car might seem ok if you are heading on holiday but it is also important to remember that overloading it will press down one the suspension and put weight on the tyres. If you load too much into your car all the time it will strain the vehicle causing you to use more fuel and will eventually cause a lot of damage.
5. Changing to reverse when moving
Although you always want to be as quick as you can when performing tasks on the road as to not inconvenience others, it is not a good idea to change from drive to reverse if you are still in motion. The reasons for this is that you will wear down the transmission band, and over time this can cause the car to be damaged.
6. Hitting speed bumps
Speed bumps are small bumps which are placed on residential roads to help control the speed of your vehicle by forcing you to slow down to drive over them without bashing into them. However a lot of people still don’t stop for speed bumps and they will simply drive right over them or bash into the side of them with their vehicle. This is of course not a good idea because over time it i ok cause a lot of damage to your car: you should always try to slow down and move over the middle of a bump so that your tyres are on either side.
7. Neglecting warning lights
Modern cars feature a lot of handy tools which can make a world of difference to your drive this year. When it comes to your warning lights, you should always take heed of these before you do anything else because a warning light will tell you something which is important for you to do.
8. Revving the engine when cold
It might seem harmless enough to rev your engine when you get in the car to head for a short journey, but over time this will have an effect on your car which is not welcome. Revving your engine while the car is cold is never a good idea because it doesn’t give time for the engine to warm up and circulate.