Driving tips can be useful to seasoned motorists, but they are especially handy for newbie drivers.
If you’ve just earned your licence, congratulations!
Your journey as a motorist, however, is just beginning.
That’s why we’ve got some driving tips to help you get the hang of your car.
Hopefully, you’ll become safer behind the wheel, too.
Here are 3 things you might be doing wrong:
1) NOT ADJUSTING WING MIRRORS PROPERLY
Wing mirrors are a big help in covering blind stops.
Unfortunately, most drivers set them to approximately what you see in the above image.
It seems like there’s nothing wrong.
But here’s a driving tip: You should aim to see as little of the car body as possible.
You only need to see the barest minimum to help you park properly.
In the above example, the windows shouldn’t even be visible from the driver’s seat.
A bit of the body, perhaps the door handle is enough.
That way, the mirrors can cover more of the blind spots.
2) ACTIVATING HAZARD LIGHTS IN HEAVY RAIN
Hazard warning lights should only be used when you experience a breakdown and have to stop.
Activating them while you’re slowly driving in heavy rain confuses drivers.
Yes, having additional lights in low visibility is good.
But to seasoned motorists, hazard lights indicate that there is something wrong with the vehicle.
Or that the vehicle needs to urgently stop.
Continuing to drive with them on is confusing – and hazardous!
3) TURNING ON ECO MODE, BUT DRIVING AGGRESSIVELY
Eco mode helps you save fuel by lowering the responsiveness of the accelerator pedal and engine.
In some cars, Eco mode also reduces the air-con’s throughput to lower the compressor’s load on the engine.
It does not make sense to use Eco mode to help you reduce fuel consumption while driving aggressively.
The car will not respond to your inputs as normal, and this will be frustrating.
Use Eco mode to complement a gentler driving style, thereby maximising your fuel efficiency.
