Your vehicle is precious to you, right? You drive it to go to work or school. Perhaps you are an Uber driver and rely on it to get your riders to their destinations. Unfortunately, even if you follow all the rules of the road, you might make some of these common driving mistakes that can hurt your car. Read this blog post to learn about these mistakes and how to prevent them.
Keeping Your Car Engine Running
Many people keep their engines running when they are waiting for a friend or getting out of the car for a quick task. The longer you keep your car on idle, the more your chance of car damage increases. Some of the following car issues might occur:
- Your engine could die
- Your motor oil could burn up
- If you have a child, they might accidentally start the car and get into an accident
- Something in your car might break
- Your car might not drive smoothly
These are just a few things that might happen if you keep your car on idle for a long time. You should only idle your car when you know for a fact that you will return to your car within half an hour or when you are temporarily waiting for your car to change temperature.
Braking Too Slowly or Too Quickly
If you do not brake at a reasonable speed, you will put too much stress on your car. Braking too slowly could cause a car to crash into you. Braking too quickly, on the other hand, could cause you to crash into a car in front of you. Either way, you are putting yourself and your car at risk of a car accident. Here are a few ways to avoid car damage:
- Pay attention to your distance from the car in front of you
- Slow down your speed before you brake
- If a car is behind you, judge your brake speed to ensure that the driver will not hit you
- Turn on your brake light
Braking or Speeding Over Speed Bumps and Humps
Common Driving Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Car
Speed bumps and speed humps provide friction so that, if you are speeding, you can slow down to avoid a crash. If you speed over a speed bump or hump, you won’t give your car a chance to slow down. You might also pop a tire. If you frequently drive over a speed bump or hump too slowly, you will eventually wear down your tires. To avoid issues with speed bumps and humps, you should do the following:
- Pay attention to where a speed bump or hump is located
- If you are speeding before you get to the speed bump, slow down
- If you are driving too slowly before you hit the speed bump, speed up a little
- Do not brake before you hit the speed bump
Turning Your Brake or Turn Signal on Too Late
Using your brake or turn signal is a way for you to communicate to other drivers what you are doing. By not turning your signals on at appropriate times, you will give other drivers the idea that you will keep going straight at the same speed and risk the possibility of a car crash. To avoid an accident and miscommunication, follow your state or province’s signal guidelines.
These are just a few common driving mistakes that can damage your car. Follow the rules of the road and stay safe.
