Learning to drive is not only about driving a car safely, confidently and in adherence with the Highway Code – but also ensuring you don’t pick up any bad habits.

Sadly though, a new survey from Dick Lovett reveals that careless or aggressive driving remains common. Interestingly, the insurance company drafted in two mental health experts to offer psychological insights into why so many of us actively embrace certain bad driving habits – even if we know they are dangerous.

‘Light’ side

According to psychologist Dr. Rebekah Wanic, the reasons behind aggressive driving behaviours – like speeding up to prevent someone from overtaking your vehicle – aren’t always malicious.

She says, “a relatively innocent explanation is that another driver coming up faster makes you realise that you might not have been paying attention to the road and slowed down, so their presence stimulates you to refocus and speed up.”

Dark side

However, there’s also a darker side with some drivers using it as a form of punishment for perceived aggressive or unsafe driving as Dr Wanic explains: “Some drivers prevent passing because they are bothered by the speed of another driver and may feel that they are behaving in an aggressive or unsafe way, so the prevention is a form of punishment.”

“Punishing others is very psychologically rewarding.”

• Dr Wanic on the reason for blocking overtakers.

UKCP psychotherapist Mark Vahrmeyer adds that for many drivers, being overtaken can feel like a personal loss. “Many drivers experience being overtaken as a win-lose proposition, with the person being overtaken as the loser,” he explains. “For some, overtaking is simply personal and a criticism of their driving.”

Biggest offenders

According to the survey, the psychodrama doesn’t end there either with other top bad habits including:

  • Fast-lane hogging: One in seven drivers admitted they prefer driving in the right hand lane on a motorway or bypass – even of they’re not overtaking anyone – with over a third of young drivers aged 18-24 saying they stick to the so-called ‘fast lane’. In fact, you’re only supposed to use the right lane if you’re overtaking – and then move back into the left lane when it’s safe to do so.
  • Undertaking: Over a quarter of drivers say they’ve undertaken another motorist if they deemed them to be travelling too slowly. However, while not always illegal, you should never undertake as it can increase the risks of causing a crash.
  • Brake checking: Approximately one in six drivers ‘brake check’ other motorists for driving too close behind them. The worst offenders? Again it’s young drivers aged 18-24 with 36% admitting to hitting the brake pedal on tailgaters. However, the ‘practise’ is extremely dangerous and could lead to an accident – plus a two-year prison sentence.
  • Street racing: Yes, this happens more than any of us would like – and perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s drivers aged 18-24 who are most guilty of the dangerously ‘bad’ habit with a whopping 45% of young motorists admitting they’ve raced on UK streets.

“Because of our own values and the perceived danger of driving, many feel that they have the right to ‘correct’ other people’s driving and impose their idea of ‘the rules’ onto other drivers. Of course, the only correct rules are those in the Highway Code.”

• UKCP psychotherapist Mark Vahrmeyer on why we ‘correct’ other drivers.

• Read Dick Lovett’s full report here.

Know Your Code

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Main image by myshoun from Pixabay