Are you guilty of any of these driving behaviour?

Maybe we’re not the world’s worst drivers, but Singapore drivers can be pretty annoying. It’s that kiasu mentality, that ‘win at any cost’ attitude, which gets in the way of courteous driving. These are some of their most infuriating habits.

Cutting queues
Now this will probably come as a surprise, given that Singaporeans have been trained — practically from birth — to queue obediently. Yet, when it comes to waiting their turn while behind the wheel, some drivers are all too ready to jump the queue. Doing so may get you to your destination sooner by few minutes, but it’s also going to rile your fellow drivers — one of whom may be all too ready to take a swing at you! — not to mention putting them in danger as well.Slowing down to stare at accidents
Curiosity is a natural attribute of being human, but slowing down to take a peek at what is happening at the scene of an accident can be annoying and dangerous to fellow drivers. Curiosity aside, some Singaporean drivers do it purely out of superstition — trying to get the licence number plate of the afflicted vehicle/s in the hope of striking it lucky in lottery. Then, of course, there are the social media mavens, who snap shots of the accident site to post on Instagram and Snapchat. Whatever the reason, this habit of stopping to stare at something actually has a name: rubbernecking. Driving distractedly like this can cause traffic to slow down and even come to a standstill, contributing to more accidents. With this in mind, the next time you come across an accident, hold your curiosity and drive on — unless, of course, you are a doctor and can actually be of help to the accident victims!

Driving too slowly
This is fairly common on our expressways. Just so you know, driving too slowly or below the speed limit is considered an offence, so keep to the speed limit especially if you are driving on the fastest lane of expressway. If there is someone behind you who appears to be in a hurry, do the gracious thing and let him overtake you instead of insisting on chugging along at your own merry pace.Not signalling
Lack of signalling when you are about to change lanes or turn is just plain discourteous and unsafe. According to traffic rules, failure to signal is an offence. Unfortunately, many drivers here are guilty of this. Your turn signal is your voice on the road; using it alerts other drivers that you are making a move. So make an effort — don’t be one of those feckless drivers who can’t be bothered to activate their turn signal when needed.

Not saying ‘thanks’ and ‘sorry’
Minding your Ps and Qs on the roads goes a long way towards making the driving experience more pleasant and less stressful. Singapore drivers — c’mon, admit it — tend to be careless about common courtesies. Just about everyone is in a hurry these days, but that’s no excuse not to give a quick wave of thanks when a fellow motorist has given way to you, or a wave of apology when you’ve jumped the queue. Swallow your pride and do it: you’ll feel better — and so will your fellow motorists.