Most driving schools will only teach you the basics of driving; plus the rules and regulations drivers are expected to follow. However, there are some things you’re not taught in driving school that could impact your safety or reduce the lifespan of your vehicle. It could be the little things like opening the radiator cap when the engine is hot or overtopping the fuel tank. Sure, ignorance is bliss but if you know nothing like Jon Snow, it could come back to bite you. Let’s get down to it, shall we? What are the 30 things not to do in your car?
It’s tempting to put your feet up on the dashboard – it’s relaxing and comfortable. Nevertheless, if an unfortunate accident happens at the precise moment your feet are on the dashboard, the airbags will get deployed and the force will push your feet back to your face. Just for the record, there have been unlucky accident victims that have suffered such trauma. So don’t do it!
Apart from being uncomfortable when driving, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t drive wearing high heels. First, you won’t put enough force on the pedals, especially during an emergency. Secondly, your heels can get stuck on the floorboard or you can step on the wrong pedal. It’s better to drive barefoot or change to a pair of flats.
According to a study done by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, at least a third of dog owners admitted their pet was a cause of distraction when driving. Besides that, airbag deployment during an accident can cause serious injuries to your pet. The worst-case scenario would be your pet flying out of the window due to a head-on collision impact. So what’s the better option? Put your pet in the backseat buckled up with a seat harness specially built for pets. Don’t forget, the best position would be directly behind the driver’s or front passengers’ seat.
Just like riding shotgun with your pet, driving with a child or pet on your lap can be dangerous. Reason? A child may decide to suddenly get hold of the steering wheel and before you know it, you’re swerving on the wrong side of the road. Similarly, a dog or a cat can poke your eye or scratch your face. Not to mention, there is a risk of fatal injuries in case of an accident.
It only takes a second of distraction trying to grab for something beyond your grasp to cause an accident. Maybe somebody could be crossing the road and since you’re busy with your hands and eyes somewhere else, the worst could happen. If you must do it, tell your passenger to help you out or wait till you stop.
This is common sense, don’t you think? Sure, some people argue that deaf people can drive just fine but don’t be fooled; a deaf person has better awareness than the average person. In fact, you could be liable for prosecution if found to cause an accident due to driving with headphones.
We’re not living in Mr. Bean’s world where changing clothes and brushing your teeth while driving doesn’t have dire consequences. Maybe in future when self-driving becomes a reality; we could even watch a movie and let the AI do the tough job. For now, there is no shortcut and we have to maintain our full attention on the road.
Unless you have a special case of disability, there is no excuse to drive with your knees if both of your hands are perfectly fine. Even if you have a broken arm, why not buy a steering wheel spinner knob to make it easier?
You’ve probably seen a lot of women apply make-up while driving. Perhaps you’re guilty too and you’ve gotten away with applying eye-liner and mascara behind the wheel. Admit it; it’s tempting to do it when there is a traffic jam. Regardless, it is still considered distracted driving with the potential to cause an accident.
Apparently, at least 17 percent of fatal road accidents are caused by drowsy drivers. So the next time you think of splashing your face with water when you’re worn out, think again. Neither does drinking too much coffee and energy drinks make a big difference anyway. Of course, caffeine can keep you awake for a while but the minute it goes down, you risk dozing suddenly like you’ve been sedated by a tranquilizer. The foolproof method would be to get enough sleep, drink enough water and eat lightly.
You’ve probably seen it in the news before; a parent leaves a child in the car for a few minutes and the child dies due to a heat stroke. If you didn’t know, a car is designed like an oven which means the temperature inside can be twice the recorded temperature outside. Also, children absorb temperatures 3 to 5 times faster than adults. Besides that, it is usually a law violation in most states and you can get charged with child endangerment.
The body control module (BCM) of most vehicles turn off when the key is pulled out from the ignition. That means if you leave your car keys in the ignition overnight, you will most likely wake up to a flat battery. Even so, you will make it easier for somebody to steal your car.
Talking about leaving car keys in the ignition, there is something worse that could happen if you sleep when the engine is running. Ever heard of carbon monoxide poisoning? The exhaust system of a car emits carbon monoxide and if you park and sleep while the engine is running, there is a high risk of suffocation. As a matter of fact, carbon monoxide is odorless and you won’t even know it before it gets to you.
Surprisingly, most drivers don’t know they shouldn’t put too much weight in the ignition. Why is it so? Too much weight can damage the ignition barrel, which is expensive to fix. Hence, you should make it your policy not to attach dozens of keys to the ignition key. Keep the ignition key weight as minimum as possible.
Even though it could be legal in some states to puff a cigarette while driving, taking a cigarette out and lighting it up while trying to drive at the same time could be a dangerous distraction. Not to forget, it could affect your vision and without an ashtray in your car, you could leave a mess behind. Similarly, smoking marijuana and driving may impair your judgment and reaction time.
Here’s the thing; if you get a flat tire and you continue driving, you will make it worse. Instead of a patch to fix a flat tire, you will need to buy a new tire; that’s if you continue driving with a deflated tire. It sounds expensive, right? But that’s not all, driving with a punctured tire could make you to lose control and cause an accident. If you find yourself in an area where you can’t pull over, try not to drive faster than 15 miles per hour until you gradually stop.
Sometimes you can’t help it, especially when you can’t find any nearby petrol station. Sure, you can drive for a few minutes with an empty fuel tank, but you can only do it for so long. The thing is, there are usually some small particles that are leftover at the base of the petrol tank. Eventually, if you make it a habit to drive with an empty fuel tank, those particles can get pulled into the engine.
You know when you’re in a gas station and you top off the fuel tank until there is no room left to be filled? Doing that is considered a hazard since it could be the reason why your evaporative system including your charcoal canister starts to develop problems. Next thing you know, there is a leak somewhere and your vehicle’s performance is underwhelming. Neither is it cheap to fix and it can put another leak in your pocket.
Most modern cars nowadays come with a reverse inhibit feature that will let you continue driving despite activating the reverse mode. However, just because there is no immediate consequence doesn’t mean that it is right to do it. Behind the scenes, you will be putting a lot of pressure on the synchronizer which may cause damage to your engine.
There is no certain way to damage a vehicle faster than to forget to change the oil. A simple mistake like that could cost you thousands of dollars trying to replace the entire engine. It’s a nightmare but the good news is the vehicle’s manual tells you how often you should change the oil. Moreover, it’s the easiest part when doing car maintenance.
The on board diagnostics (OBD) performs an analysis of the vehicle and translates the message via the dashboard warning lights. In other words, the dashboard warning lights should tell you if there is an issue with your car. For instance, a yellow coded light typically means you ought to do service or a status check. On the other hand, green or blue normally implies that something is activated while red stands for “fix that issues ASAP!!!”
Like putting the car in reverse mode, most modern cars won’t react when you press the off engine when you’re driving at a high speed. Then again, depending on the car model, there is a possibility your car would stall and the power steering and brakes may lock. If it must be said, some experiments are better left to the imagination.
What could possibly go wrong if you jump start your car battery backward? In short, you could damage the battery and the jumper cables. The worst-case scenario would be the battery casing cracking up and triggering an ignition or explosion. There is also the likelihood of the electronic sensors and on-board computers getting destroyed. Need any more reason not to do it?
It’s a waste of money! The air we breathe is 78 percent Nitrogen and anybody that tells you to pay extra to fill your tires with Nitrogen is trying to scam you. It would make sense filling jet tires with 100 percent Nitrogen gas but for ordinary vehicles, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. For what it’s worth, the 78 percent Nitrogen is sufficient.
You know what happens when you don’t change the coolant? The engine overheats and if you’re living in a very cold place, the water in the engine could freeze. The effects may cause a ripple in your engine like cancer and before you realize what’s going on, the radiator is in critical condition. All that trouble because you couldn’t spare a few minutes to check the coolant level and replace it if necessary.
One of the dumbest things anybody can do when changing the coolant is opening the radiator cap when the engine is hot. The hot coolant will spill out like a volcano and you would be lucky if you don’t check into the hospital with a scalded skin.
Just because your car comes with a cup holder doesn’t mean that you should eat a sandwich and drink a cup of coffee while driving. It won’t be fun when you hit a bump and spill your coffee or food all over the place. If you’re hungry, it will be much safer to stop at a convenient location to eat and drink before proceeding with the journey.
Did you know one of the leading causes of accidents is texting and driving? Needless to say, even catching a glimpse of your phone to read a text is just as distracting as writing a message. Oddly enough, voice command technology has made it possible to text or receive a call without touching your smartphone yet people still make the silly mistake of texting and driving. Mind you, picking up the phone to make or receive a phone call is also considered dangerous distraction behavior.
Millions of lives are lost on the road every year due to fatal accidents that are caused by drunk drivers. Driving under the influence of alcohol impairs judgment and affects your ability to react quickly. In fact, even a few shots could cause you to drive dangerously. Remember, if you cause an accident and injure somebody as a result, you could get locked up. Just don’t risk it!
Of course, if you had a dollar for every time you were told to wear a seatbelt, you would probably have a million dollars. But the gravity of the message doesn’t really hit you until you see what happens during an accident. To paint the picture, it’s not unusual for a passenger with no safety belt to get thrown a few feet up in the air at high speed in case of an accident. All that can be prevented if you just wear a seatbelt.
