We’ve all had plenty of advice on how to drive – some of it may have been more welcome than others. And of course, while plenty of it is solid (give plenty of space to other road users, exercise caution as a general rule), sometimes you hear stuff that’s a bit more specific, and a bit less… well, correct.
With decades of experience behind us here at RAW2K running online car auctions with the very best prices, we’ve heard our fair share of bad driving advice. Here, we’ve collected four of the most egregious examples!
“Revving the engine when cold warms it up faster”
Quite simply – no, it doesn’t. It’s one that drivers may have found themselves indulging in a bit more recently, during the spate of cold weather over the past few weeks – but it doesn’t do your car any good. Modern engines are designed to warm up without the need for any aggressive revving.
It unnecessarily eats up your fuel, causes unnecessary stress on engine components, and results in greater emissions. A much better approach is to allow the engine to idle for a short duration, which allows the oil to circulate and the engine to reach an optimal operating temperature gradually. This means your car gets the benefit of a smoother and more efficient warm-up process, which means the engine is going to last longer.
“Don’t worry about resting your hand on the gear stick”
Well, we’re not saying you should spend too much time preoccupied with your gearstick, but this isn’t something to be dismissed offhand either. Driving with one hand casually resting on your gearstick is a common habit, but over a long enough period, it can result in gradual unnecessary wear and tear for your car. It can lead to unintentional pressure on the gear mechanism, causing premature wear and tear to some pretty expensive components. What’s more, it delays your reaction times if you suddenly need to react to an obstruction ahead – either you’re doing the steering one-handed, or you’re having to quickly transfer from the gearstick to the steering wheel, costing you that extra second which can potentially make all the difference as to whether or not you have an accident.
“You can just hold your car on a hill using bite point”
Holding a car stationary on an incline using only the clutch is a widespread bad driving habit. Some drivers, in an attempt to avoid rolling backwards on hills, engage the clutch halfway and balance the car with the accelerator. This counts as "riding the clutch," which you may already be familiar with – essentially, it puts unnecessary strain on the clutch components, leading to premature wear. A more effective and less damaging approach is to use the handbrake or parking brake to keep the car stationary on hills, reducing stress on the clutch and ensuring its longevity.
“If your engine revs are low – floor it”
Without question the worst tip on our list, aggressively accelerating is a detrimental driving habit that can have severe consequences for your engine’s health – and it’s exceptionally dangerous, to boot. Rapid acceleration, often referred to as "flooring it," can lead to increased fuel consumption, premature wear on the engine, and heightened emissions. It also makes you a danger to other road users, especially vulnerable ones like pedestrians and cyclists, who might not be expecting the sudden change in speed.
Instead, it’s better to accelerate gradually, allowing the engine to reach optimal performance levels. Consistent and smooth acceleration not only contributes to fuel efficiency but also extends the lifespan of engine components. It’s not only more sustainable, but it’s a lot safer too.
Those are just the most prominent examples we’ve heard – you might well have plenty of your own! We’ll leave you to exercise your judgment on what else is good or bad advice – as for us, we’ll stick to doing what we do best, which is giving you the very best deals on a huge range of used cars and salvage vehicles in our online car auctions. We’ve got a huge range of salvage cars to choose from in our online car auctions, including many from world-famous brands like Mercedes, Vauxhall and Renault. Our auctions are refreshed on a daily and weekly basis, so there are always bargains to be found. Why not take a look around, and see what you can find?
