We all come across the occasional driver whose road conduct is more than irritating. Maybe you have habits that other road users find aggravating? To ensure you’re the best person to share the road with, we’ve picked the worst driving habits so you can make an effort to not make them part of you daily driving conduct and avoid any fines or penalty points!
Poor Indication
Whilst not indicating isn’t illegal, it can lead to a careless driving offence if done inappropriately which can mean a hefty £100 fine with 3 points on your licence. Whether you indicate at the last minute, or don’t bother indicating at all, you can compromise your own life as well as the lives of others. Remember, you should always check your mirrors and signal before moving.
Tailgating
Driving too closely behind another vehicle is incredibly dangerous, not to mention annoying for other drivers. You may not realise you are doing it, but not only does leaving too little space aggravate / put pressure on the other driver, but it can (and often does!) result in a serious accident should an emergency stop occur. Reduce risk of an accident and ensure you leave a 2 second gap between yourself and the car in front of you. If you find yourself the victim of tailgating, resist the urge to “break check” them – you’re only introducing more hazards and increasing the chance of a crash. Instead, drive hyper-safely and let them past if possible.
Lane Hogging
We’ve all been stuck behind another car that decides to go slow (usually in the middle lane) and prevent you from overtaking – it is perhaps one of the worst driving habits, not to mention a major contributor to road congestion.
Prevent a careless driving fine of £100 from causing a backlog of traffic yourself, and only use outside lanes to overtake. The traffic police advise if you can be in the inside lane for more than a few seconds, you should be – you’ve be amazed how many opportunities people miss.
Poor Traffic Light Conduct
Have you been beeped at by the car behind you whilst day-dreaming as the lights changed to green? Or have you found yourself driving through hastily to beat them turning red and had to put your foot down to make it in time? If so, odds are you need to take a look at your traffic light conduct! Running a traffic light can lead to a maximum penalty of a £1,000 fine, 6 points on your licence, or disqualification, however it is common to receive a £60 fine and 3 penalty points. The key here is not to get distracted and instead pay full attention to the road and the signal – helping traffic to flow more smoothly.
Driving at the Wrong Speed
When the weather creates horrible driving conditions, it’s not only scary but dangerous to drive too fast!
Wet weather hampers braking efficiency so if you are speeding and an obstacle appears in the road, you are likely to have a horrible accident because of the reduced visibility. So make sure to slow down to drive appropriately to the weather. On the other hand, if you’re extra cautious and go too slowly, you can be a hazard to other drivers who may not judge your speed in time, resulting in sudden braking or overtaking, with a verbal warning or up to 9 points if pulled over by the police. It’s about being sensible and taking the road conditions into account – there is no “one size fits all”.
Littering
It’s not rare to find litter in lying in ditches on the road, and in 2016, 1 in 7 motorists admitted to throwing litter out of their windows whilst driving. Not only is this damaging to the environment, but throwing litter can be an obstacle for other motorists, and so will now cost you a £150 fine. Don’t be a litter bug and cause potential hazards to vehicles with glass and sharp objects, and don’t risk road workers lives having to pick up after your mess.
Not Letting Cars into a Lane
You may find yourself annoyed by a backlog of traffic from a merging lane, but one of the worst driving habits is not letting cars into a lane. Whether it’s a zip merging lane (like on the photo above, where you are meant to merge lanes one car from each lane at a time, resembling a zipper) or a lane closure causing traffic to merge, drivers that neglect to allow merging prevent a smooth flow of traffic and just increase congestion. Although there is no penalty or fine for this, other drivers on the road will no doubt be a bit angered if you don’t let them merge into your lane.
To keep yourself and other motorists safe on the road, avoid these habits at all costs!
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