Apart from driving schools, one usually pick up driving habits from people around them – parents, friends, etc. However, there are tendencies where a driver adopts bad driving habits that need to be changed, however slight it might be. This change may just improve things for the better as it involves driving comfort and safety.
Of course, behaviours like driving while texting or switching lanes without indicating are obviously wrong, but according to professional drivers and studies, it's these crucial driving habits below that needs to be taken seriously.
1. Hands at 10 and 2 o’clock on the steering wheel
This is often a technique found on new drivers, as it is how driving instructors from driving schools do it. However, if you attend any advanced driving course, these professional instructors would likely instruct you to hold the steering wheel at the position of 9 and 3 o’clock. This is to ensure that a driver have full control of the steering (given that he/she sits at the optimum driving position).
Besides, the steering wheel on any current or new cars are designed so that if you hold it at the 9-3 position, you can comfortably place your thumbs in the grooves provided. The wiper and headlight stalks are also located where you can operate them while minimizing hand movement off the steering wheel when driving.
2. Coasting in neutral to a stop
This applies to drivers driving both manual and automatic transmission cars. I’m not sure about you, but I have seen people driving at say 60km/h, and then engaging neutral while approaching a stop light. Their argument is that it saves fuel as the engine will then run at idling revs. This is untrue. The car should always be in gear while moving, especially during downhill driving. Sometimes road hazard requires you to apply throttle and steer out of it. So, being in neutral is probably the last thing you want want in that kind of situation..
3. Shuffling/feeding the steering wheel
Turning the steering wheel from inside of the rim is wrong, while turning it by shuffling/feeding the steering wheel is not the most ideal all of the time. Yes, you learnt it from driving schools, but that is to encourage the habit of putting both hands on the steering wheel.
<iframe width="700" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yXplHIBrSIQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The better way is to apply hand-over-hand. Maintaining your hands at 9-3 position is okay if the steering turn is less than 180-degree, but beyond that, you can apply hand-over-hand where your arm crosses another arm to further turn the steering wheel. This can be done for turning-in to a corner and straightening the steering out of the corner, and allows for a faster execution than shuffling it.
<iframe width="700" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6mm56SYOYR0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
4. Applying handbrake at every stop
The handbrake or e-brake usually hold the rear tyres still and is designed to prevent the car from rolling from an incline. But why do you need to apply the handbrake when you’re stopped for a short period of time, let’s say in a stop-and-go traffic? Even worse, engaging Park (!) in an automatic car? I’m sure most of you have seen the car in front flashing its reverse lights briefly as the gear lever passes through Reverse to arrive at Drive.
Unless you are stopping for long or on a hilly surface, simply engaging Neutral with a foot on the brake pedal is more than enough. Plus, if you are the last car at the stop, this could serve as an early warning to drivers approaching from behind that the cars ahead are stationary.
5. Not utilizing the slip road
Driving in traffic is all about ‘getting in the flow’. You don’t want to be too recklessly fast or too slow that you become a hazard. Therefore, when emerging from a slip road onto the main road, you’d want to position yourself in which you could reduce the necessity for other drivers to slow down for you. Ideally, you should try to match your speed with the traffic flow.
The slip road is designed to be long enough for emerging drivers to continue through it, then matching the speed of the vehicle on the main road, to then safely position themselves in to the main road, given that there is enough gap.
Do you agree with the driving habits listed above? And is there any other driving habit that seriously needs to be eradicated? Tell us!
Of course, behaviours like driving while texting or switching lanes without indicating are obviously wrong, but according to professional drivers and studies, it's these crucial driving habits below that needs to be taken seriously.
1. Hands at 10 and 2 o’clock on the steering wheel
This is often a technique found on new drivers, as it is how driving instructors from driving schools do it. However, if you attend any advanced driving course, these professional instructors would likely instruct you to hold the steering wheel at the position of 9 and 3 o’clock. This is to ensure that a driver have full control of the steering (given that he/she sits at the optimum driving position).
2. Coasting in neutral to a stop
This applies to drivers driving both manual and automatic transmission cars. I’m not sure about you, but I have seen people driving at say 60km/h, and then engaging neutral while approaching a stop light. Their argument is that it saves fuel as the engine will then run at idling revs. This is untrue. The car should always be in gear while moving, especially during downhill driving. Sometimes road hazard requires you to apply throttle and steer out of it. So, being in neutral is probably the last thing you want want in that kind of situation..
3. Shuffling/feeding the steering wheel
Turning the steering wheel from inside of the rim is wrong, while turning it by shuffling/feeding the steering wheel is not the most ideal all of the time. Yes, you learnt it from driving schools, but that is to encourage the habit of putting both hands on the steering wheel.
<iframe width="700" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yXplHIBrSIQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The better way is to apply hand-over-hand. Maintaining your hands at 9-3 position is okay if the steering turn is less than 180-degree, but beyond that, you can apply hand-over-hand where your arm crosses another arm to further turn the steering wheel. This can be done for turning-in to a corner and straightening the steering out of the corner, and allows for a faster execution than shuffling it.
<iframe width="700" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6mm56SYOYR0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
4. Applying handbrake at every stop
The handbrake or e-brake usually hold the rear tyres still and is designed to prevent the car from rolling from an incline. But why do you need to apply the handbrake when you’re stopped for a short period of time, let’s say in a stop-and-go traffic? Even worse, engaging Park (!) in an automatic car? I’m sure most of you have seen the car in front flashing its reverse lights briefly as the gear lever passes through Reverse to arrive at Drive.
Unless you are stopping for long or on a hilly surface, simply engaging Neutral with a foot on the brake pedal is more than enough. Plus, if you are the last car at the stop, this could serve as an early warning to drivers approaching from behind that the cars ahead are stationary.
5. Not utilizing the slip road
Driving in traffic is all about ‘getting in the flow’. You don’t want to be too recklessly fast or too slow that you become a hazard. Therefore, when emerging from a slip road onto the main road, you’d want to position yourself in which you could reduce the necessity for other drivers to slow down for you. Ideally, you should try to match your speed with the traffic flow.
The slip road is designed to be long enough for emerging drivers to continue through it, then matching the speed of the vehicle on the main road, to then safely position themselves in to the main road, given that there is enough gap.
Do you agree with the driving habits listed above? And is there any other driving habit that seriously needs to be eradicated? Tell us!
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