Get Familiar with Avoidable Abusive Driving Habits That Are Damaging Your Car
Modern cars with proper maintenance and not driven abusively are capable to serve you for thousands of kilometers. Abusive driving habits can damage your car and it can go into early retirement.
- Selecting reverse, while the car is moving forward can give the mechanical parts a mixed message. The force involved in moving the mechanical parts in the opposite direction, while traveling is a poor practice. In automatic cars, the transmission gets damaged. In manual cars, the gearbox gets locked out preventing the selection of reverse. A wise thing to do is to use brakes and stop the car before you chose the proper gear and change direction.
- When you drive downhill in neutral more fuel gets used. You can control the car with brakes only. It means you lose control in adjusting speed or avoiding a crash. So, never switch off the ignition, when the car is moving.
- Less fuel in the car, while traveling can damage the fuel pump in modern cars and cause corrosion in old vehicles.
- Drivers prematurely wear the clutch of their manual transmission cars. It is because they use the clutch as a footrest while driving.
- Excessive hard braking without any need can make it to wear quickly. Smooth acceleration and gentle braking will make them last longer. It even saves fuel and is safe for road users and you.
- Driving speedily over bumps impacts the car mechanism. It can damage the suspension components like ball joints, shock absorbers, and bushings. Speed bumps are meant to slow down and going fast can be risky for every road user.
- Over or under-inflated tires are unable to do their task properly. The right pressure saves fuel. The driver can handle the car properly and keep you safe.
- The car needs to get warmed before the car engine gets revived up or the engine gets worn unnecessarily and fuel gets burned needlessly. So, start the engine and allow it to settle before driving away.
- Regular driving keeps the battery, brakes, fluids, and exhaust system from deteriorating. The car needs fresh fuel to avoid fuel system clogging and corrosion issues. So, ensure to drive your car regularly.
Some drivers in Australia have nurtured annoying driving habits. They need to go for a refresher driving course offered at the LTrent Driving School. The refreshing course can help drivers to eliminate the bad habits that annoy other car drivers, damage their cars, and are risky for road users.
Annoying driving habits to avoid
- Swing turners – Some car drivers [except trailers] enjoy wide, sweeping turns, which is risky on a 2-lane road.
- Space hogs – Some drivers stop too far from the vehicle standing in front at the traffic light or at an intersection, which blocks other drivers to enter the slip lane. A safe distance is good, but stopping too far away is frustrating for other drivers!
- Road raging – On the road, you can come across many idiot drivers. You are a safe driver but had a bad day. Roaring at every car that crosses you or swearing loudly makes you look like an idiot!