Most people like to think they’re pretty decent behind the wheel, or maybe even slightly better than average.
But if everyone were as good as they believed, the roads would look a lot less like a dodgem arena at rush hour. Some habits seem small in the moment, but scream “terrible driver” loud enough for everyone around you to hear (and silently judge). Here are some habits that pretty much guarantee you’re not quite the driving legend you think you are.
1. Tailgating like you’re in a Fast and Furious movie
Nothing says “bad driver” quite like hovering two feet from someone’s bumper at 70 miles an hour. Tailgating doesn’t make anyone move faster, mate. It just stresses everyone out and makes crashes way more likely. Giving people space isn’t just about politeness; it’s about basic safety. If you’re close enough to count how many pens they have rolling around on their back seat, you’re definitely doing it wrong.
2. Forgetting indicators exist
Turn signals weren’t installed just for decoration. Using them isn’t optional; it’s literally how you communicate with every other driver trying not to collide with you. Not indicating is the automotive version of suddenly cutting across a crowded room without warning. It’s confusing, annoying, and it makes everyone around you feel like they need hazard pay just to survive.
3. Speeding through yellow lights like it’s a dare
Yellow lights mean “prepare to stop,” not “floor it and pray for the best.” Charging through an amber light is just asking for someone to slam on their brakes—or worse, a collision right in the middle of the junction. If your first reaction to a yellow light is to accelerate like you’re at Silverstone, it might be time for a little soul-searching. Getting somewhere 30 seconds faster isn’t worth a heart attack or an insurance claim.
4. Parking like you’re the only person on earth
Taking up two spaces, parking half on the kerb, or abandoning your car at a wild angle doesn’t make you “quirky”; it makes you *that* driver everyone rolls their eyes at. Good parking isn’t just about looking neat; it’s about making sure other people can actually park, walk, and function like normal humans without needing a tape measure and nerves of steel.
5. Cutting people off with zero remorse
Swooping in front of someone with inches to spare might feel thrilling in the moment, but it’s wildly dangerous, and guaranteed to get you cursed out by everyone within a ten-car radius. Respecting lane discipline isn’t just a nice idea. It’s fundamental to not making the motorway feel like a demolition derby. Smooth merges, clear signalling, and basic courtesy go a long way.
6. Treating roundabouts like a free-for-all
Roundabouts only work if people understand how to use them properly—giving way, signalling clearly, and not launching themselves across two lanes at the last second like they’re starring in a heist movie. If roundabouts make you panic, brake randomly, or switch lanes mid-circle, it’s a big red flag that some extra practice (and patience) might be needed. They’re not that scary unless you make them that way.
7. Refusing to let people merge
The “zipper merge” isn’t a suggestion. It’s basic road manners. Blocking someone from merging out of stubbornness or superiority just makes traffic worse for everyone, including you. Letting one car in doesn’t mean you’ve lost some cosmic battle. It just means you’re a decent human being who understands that traffic flows better when people cooperate instead of acting like it’s a personal insult.
8. Constantly fiddling with your phone
Texting, scrolling, or trying to film TikToks while driving isn’t just dangerous, it’s downright reckless. No message, no meme, no playlist is important enough to risk crashing your car (and someone else’s life). If you can’t resist the urge to glance at your phone, stick it in the glovebox. Out of sight, out of mind—and way fewer angry horn blasts from the drivers you’re accidentally swerving toward.
9. Braking randomly for no reason
Sudden, unnecessary braking turns normal traffic into an instant chaos machine. It confuses everyone behind you and raises the risk of getting rear-ended by someone who wasn’t expecting you to panic-stop for a squirrel 50 metres away. Braking should be smooth, deliberate, and predictable. If your brake lights flash like a strobe at a bad nightclub, it’s time to work on your situational awareness and stop driving like you’re in a permanent state of emergency.
10. Hogging the middle lane on the motorway
Middle-lane hogging is the classic move of someone who thinks, “I’m going the speed limit, therefore I own this lane.” However, that’s not how it works. Motorways are designed for overtaking, not personal territory staking. Refusing to move over clogs up traffic, forces risky undertakes, and generally earns you muttered curses from every frustrated driver stuck behind you. Left lane for cruising, right lane for overtaking, simple as that.
11. Playing music so loud your windows vibrate
Loving your playlist is fine. Turning your car into a mobile nightclub is… less fine, especially when you can’t hear ambulances, horns, or the growing collective despair of everyone within a five-car radius. If your music is so loud that birds scatter from trees as you drive by, it’s not a flex; it’s a red flag. Volume moderation could save your ears, your car, and your reputation as a functioning adult.
12. Refusing to use your headlights properly
Headlights aren’t just for you—they’re so other drivers can actually see you, especially in rain, fog, or the low gloom of a British winter afternoon. Forgetting to switch them on (or leaving full beams on and blinding everyone) is both dangerous and wildly inconsiderate. If you’re squinting into the darkness like you’re starring in a budget horror film, take the hint. Light up properly and stop pretending you’re a stealth ninja on the M25.
13. Treating speed limits like vague suggestions
Yes, speed cameras are annoying. Yes, sometimes the limit feels unnecessarily low. But blowing through speed limits isn’t a charming act of rebellion. It’s a flashing neon sign saying you value your own convenience over everyone’s safety. Speed limits are set for a reason, even if it sometimes feels like they were decided by a council committee on their third coffee of the day. Following them is basic, and it keeps your wallet free of awkward fine letters later.
14. Acting like you’re the only one who knows how to drive
Blasting your horn, shouting at people through closed windows, rolling your eyes dramatically—all classic moves of someone who’s convinced everyone else on the road is an idiot except them. Here’s the secret: truly good drivers are calm, patient, and not looking for a daily war. If you treat every mistake you see as a personal attack, it might be worth asking who the real problem is.
