Is your driving a little rusty?
This advertorial is brought to you by Desjardins Insurance
After years of driving, you might have picked up some bad habits
If you passed your driving test many years ago, you may well have forgotten some of the basics, and a few essentials of road safety. We spoke to Julie Bourret from Option driving school in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Julie’s been a driving instructor for 24 years. She revealed some of the bad habits she sees on the roads.
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“Pedestrians can wait!”
You might sometimes forget to yield to pedestrians, especially if you’re used to driving on quiet country roads. Be careful! You’re not only putting pedestrians’ lives in danger, you’re committing a traffic violation. In some cities, the fine can cost you hundreds of dollars.
“Left lane, centre lane, right lane—it’s all the same!”
After the nervousness of your first driving years, you can start feeling pretty comfortable driving on the highway—you pick a lane without too much thought. Just remember that the left lane should always be reserved for passing to help the flow of traffic.
“There’s nothing in my rear view mirror, so it’s safe!”
After an accident, drivers often say, “I didn’t see them!” Chances are you didn’t see them because you didn’t check your blind spot. Make it a habit to always check your blind spots before moving out or changing lanes!
“The closer I follow the car in front, the faster they’ll go!”
Being late can make us impatient. Some drivers tailgate to try to push other motorists to go faster. Keep your distance! If you’re too close to the vehicle in front, there’s hardly any time to react in an emergency!
“Staring at an obstacle makes it move!”
Another bad habit is focusing on obstacles instead of where you’re driving. When you anticipate the road—instead of staring at the back bumper of the car in front—you not only help prevent accidents, but you can also help improve the flow of traffic. Who knows, if everyone did this, maybe we’d have a little less traffic congestion?
What if your good driving habits could be rewarded?
We don’t get many opportunities to improve our driving habits (or to get rid of bad ones). And let’s face it, we all need to iron out a few wrinkles. With the Ajusto program on your smartphone, you can analyze and improve your driving, and maybe even get some savings!
Drive safely!