The Curious Ways Driving Habits Have Changed Over The Years

Contributed Post

Young drivers are often surprised whenever they talk to their parents and older relatives about driving. They may discover that those who have learned to drive a few decades ago have a lot of very different habits to them. That’s largely because driving lessons and best practices when behind the wheel have changed greatly over the past few years. As a result, the things that young people are taught by their driving instructors are very different to the lessons that were taught to their parents and even grandparents.

Here are some of the curious ways that driving has changed over the past few decades.

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Hand Position On The Steering Wheel

Back in the day, everyone was told that they should always have two hands on the steering wheel at ten to two, as if your hands were the hands on a clock. So, your left hand would be at ten, and the right one at two. This was thought to give the driver a lot more control over the wheel. However, that has changed and now, new drivers are told to keep their hands at quarter to three. This can help drivers maintain even more control of the wheel.

Using The Handbrake

Many older drivers will try to use their handbrake whenever they stop the car. Even though it is advisable to put this brake on when you park up, these days it’s generally not advised to put it on when you simply stop at traffic lights. However, many older drivers will still put their handbrake on at any chance they get. The main reason for this change of thinking behind the use of a handbrake is that it just isn’t necessary to put it on for only a few minutes.

Using New Technologies

If you ask any auto accident attorney, I’m sure he or she will tell you that one of the main causes of car accidents these days is distractions from cell phones and other new tech devices. However, not all of them are dangerous. In fact, most new drivers now rely on tech like GPS and Sat Navs to help them make their way from A to B. Older drivers have yet to take to all of this new technology quite as much as their younger counterparts.

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Going Down Through All The Gears

When many older drivers were taught how to drive, they were told that they need to work their way through the gears gradually when needing to go down into a lower gear. However, that isn’t taught to learner drivers anymore, and drivers are now encouraged to jump between gears.

Taking The Theory Test

Did you know that the theory test was only introduced in the middle of the 1990s? It’s true! And that means most older drivers didn’t need to take it when they were learning to drive. So, it might not be worth asking your parents about the theory test – they won’t know anything about it!

So much has changed in the world of driving!