April 16th 2017
There’s no doubt you’ll come across many road safety measures in the UAE. From road signs to friendly traffic radars, the UAE government has implemented many rules to minimize road accidents. But there’s a good chance we have developed some bad driving habits that may not be violating any traffic rules but can certainly put us in harm’s way. Such driving etiquettes can also have an impact on the heavy car insurance premiums you have to pay. Below are the 5 bad driving habits you adopt while driving. Which ones are you guilty of?
- Keeping The Fuel Tank Low
Most of us are budget conscious, so we refill the tank with very little amount of fuel to keep the vehicle going. But what we don’t know is that this can increase the fuel pump repair costs. The fuel stored in the tank is pumped to your car’s engine by the fuel pump. Modern fuel pumps need to stay immersed in the fuel to cool down otherwise they heat up and deteriorate rapidly.
Ideally, gasoline and other fuels don’t have residual particles, but in the practical world this is not the case. Residues settle down at the bottom of the fuel while the fuel pump sucks the clean top half. If your fuel tank is low, the fuel pump will continuously pull out the dirtier fuel, which reduces its longevity.
It is advised to keep your fuel tank at least a quarter full. Sudden breakdown in the middle of the road are not only costly, but can also cause an accident.
- Using The Brakes To Drive Downhill
We are solely responsible of the wear-and-tear of our vehicles starting from something as simple as improper braking. A common practice is to press the brake to maintain a slow speed while driving downhill. This causes strain and heats the brake fluid, which ultimately results in the loss of braking performance.
A better alternative is to switch to a lower gear and practice engine braking. Engine braking is as effective as regular braking. If you have an automatic car, shift to the last slot of your automatic transmission to maintain downhill speed.
We take our car braking systems for granted, and always rely on brakes, thus brake pads and rotors wear out quicker!
- Switching To Incorrect Lanes
We all have to reach our workplace on time, but what good has hastiness done for anybody, ever? It takes only one car to make an incorrect lane change and disrupt the entire traffic flow. Apart from causing traffic congestion, abrupt lane changers cause road crashes.
Switching to correct lanes harmoniously will save both yours and others time. Always use the right indicator before switching any lane.
- Forgetting The Parking Brake
Forgetting to use the parking brake on a leveled surface is no big deal, but it surely makes a difference when you park your car on a steep surface. Parking your car on an inclined ground without using the parking brake can transfer the entire load to a delicate piece of metal in the transmission known as the parking pawl.
The piece, just about the size of your finger, can only save your car from rolling down 4-5 times, and each time the wearing action will speed up because of holding immense weight.
The habit of using parking brake will maintain the endurance of the parking pawl, saving you from costly repair bills and car crashes.
- Neglecting Warning Signs
You find road signs set up on every side of the UAE roads, but they are of no use if you keep ignoring them. Same goes for the warning lights on your dashboard, flashes from radars, honks from other drivers or even clinking noises from your vehicle. All these are indicators that you’re either not abiding traffic rules or something is wrong with your vehicle.
Always consider these warning signs and get to the bottom of the issue. Little things like these can save you and your car from any incoming danger.