The UK’s most quirky driving habits

If you always stop the fuel pump on a round number or avoid cat’s eyes when changing motorway lanes, then you’re not alone according to a new survey.

UK drivers have admitted to some interesting driving quirks, from always setting their sound system to the same number (for some only on an odd or even number) and stopping the fuel pump on a round number, to never parking next to another vehicle in a car park, talking to themselves, and purposely avoiding cat’s eyes when changing motorway lanes.

The survey of UK drivers, by InsuretheGap.com, reveals the top 10 quirky driving habits to be:

1. 47% ensure their windscreen wipers are in the resting position before turning the engine off
2. 42% search out the cause of an interior noises or rattle straight-away
3. 39% stop the fuel pump on a round number; and an additional 39% avoid parking next to another vehicle in a car park
4. 35% straighten the steering and car wheels when parking
5. 31% ensure their fuel gauge does not drop below a designated point
6. 23% move to the inside lane at a specific point prior to exiting a motorway (for example, when seeing the first exit sign)
7. 20% yell at other drivers safe in the knowledge they can’t be heard
8. 18% avoid cat’s eyes when changing motorway lanes
9. 17% talk to themselves in the car
10. 15% change gears in sequence and never skip a gear, e.g., changing from fourth to second gear.

Other strange things drivers do is always setting the music volume to a specific number (4%) and allowing indicators to click a certain number of times before switching them off (3%). While almost one in ten (9%) will also avoid parking next to a specific vehicle make and the same number again will peer into nearby cars.

Ben Wooltorton, chief operating officer at InsuretheGap.com, said: “It seems that many of us have some very interesting driving quirks, and I have to admit to quite a few of these myself. Thank you to our drivers for sharing theirs. One response that amused me was a driver who said they always give way to smaller, less-polluting vehicles but not to larger-polluting vehicles. Good to see a one-person principled stand from behind the wheel.”

He continued: “Whatever your driving quirks, one thing you must do is consider getting GAP insurance from an independent provider. If your car is stolen or written off, the insurance company will often only pay the value of the car at the time of the incident, which can be significantly less than the amount you paid for it. GAP insurance bridges the GAP between these amounts, and doesn’t have to be bought from the dealership.”