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5 Sure Signs You are a Lousy Driver

Vukasin Herbez November 16, 2018

What is the one thing common for all drivers on the planet, besides the fact they have a driver’s license? It’s the belief they are the perfect driver. Nobody ever tells themselves they are a lousy driver. In fact, most people love to brag about their driving skills. But, if this were true and everybody was perfect behind the wheel, then there wouldn’t be any accidents or crashes.

In fact, they would produce cars without horns or even airbags. Obviously, this is not the case, so here is a comprehensive list of the signs you are a lousy driver. Read all of them, and if you recognize yourself in one, it is time to change your driving habits.

1. You Tend to Tailgate

This is a common thing among drivers today. It shows a basic misunderstanding of driving dynamics, as well as being the first sign you are a bad driver. Tailgating is driving too close to the car in front of you. There is an old saying that if you can read the license plates of the car in front, you are too close. But there isn’t any reason why you should tailgate, even in heavy traffic.

When you are too close to the car in front, you have less time to react in case of stopping or emergency braking. This means you are more likely to rear-end the car you’re behind in traffic. This could be a dangerous and costly accident because rear-ending someone is almost always your fault. So, always keep your distance, even if it means letting people cut in your lane.

2. You Forget to Use Your Turn Signal

Driving instructors may tell you that you should use your turn signals anytime the car changes the direction of travel, even in parking lots and at low speeds. Turn signals are an immensely important signaling device. So, you should use them even before deciding to make a turn. However, a lot of people tend to change lanes without signaling.

Why do some drivers fail to use their turn signal? Is it because they are too lazy to pull the lever left of the steering wheel or do they just forget? Either way, this is a dangerous habit that drivers should change immediately. Using turn signals can save your life or somebody else’s, and this is something you should keep in mind.

3. You Text While Driving

Texting while operating a car is a big problem. In fact, distractions from the phone are one of the most common causes of accidents, often with fatal outcomes. A big percentage of drivers, mostly younger people, think that using the phone while driving is okay, but it isn’t. It is far from it.

Research shows that driving and talking on the phone is as dangerous as driving drunk. And driving and texting is much worse since your attention is on the phone screen, so your eyes are not on the road. So, if you need to text somebody, stop the car and then do it.

4. You Can’t Park Properly

Even though you try hard, do you have trouble parking properly? Are you always parked too close to other cars? Some drivers don’t know how to parallel park even though they’ve tried countless times. Are you afraid to go to the mall during rush hour since you know you will have problems parking your car? If you’re always looking for a space far away from other cars, it looks like you have a problem.

Having trouble parking is not uncommon and it isn’t anything to be ashamed of. It simply means you need more practice and a better understanding of your car`s dimensions. You just need to go to an empty parking lot and perfect your skills. Also, watch a few tutorials on YouTube. Once you get a hang of it, you will gain confidence and be able to park anywhere.

5. You Drive Too Slow

In real-life situations, driving well below the speed limit is far more dangerous than driving fast. The reason for that is simple. When you drive fast, you pass other cars and speed out of the way. But when you drive slowly, you can clog traffic and even cause an accident. The biggest number of highway accidents happen when a faster driver rear-ends a slow car in the left lane.

Approaching from behind, a driver cannot tell how fast or slow the car in front of him is going. They assume that they are traveling at the same speed, but often the driver finds out that the car in front is going too slow which gives him little time to react and sometimes the crash is inevitable. So, follow the speed limits and be safe.

These are the top five sure signs you are a lousy driver. If you do any of these things, you need to change them right away. Driving safely means saving lives, both yours and those around you.

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