There’s much more to driving a car than what you learn in driver’s ed — and I’m not just talking about the wisdom that years of driving experience will bring. We all have habits we’ve picked up from our parents and friends growing up, routines that are outside of the “rules of the road.”
Many of these peculiar habits are based on superstitions that we might not even realize. Although everyone’s driving habits are different, I bet you practice at least one of these common automotive superstitions.
Become a Better Driver: Don’t do these bad habits that annoy other drivers!
Holding your breath
Do you hold your breath when passing by a graveyard or traveling through a tunnel? Although this is done for many reasons (including granting wishes and avoiding disturbing the dead), it’s a common practice that many drivers and passengers follow without knowing why. You might even hold your breath as a competition!
Yellow traffic lights
Another practice that’s done for several different reasons, some drivers tap the ceiling of their car if they drive through an intersection when the traffic light is yellow — and even kiss their hand before doing so. Whether it’s intended to avoid getting in a car accident or to improve your experiences in bed, everyone who taps on yellow lights can agree that doing so is a “lucky” act.
Loose change
The act of “car coining” is common among certain areas of the East Coast where people (including the owner, family, and/or friends) toss coins onto the floor of a brand-new car to give the driver good fortune. This habit most likely stemmed from an actual, practical need: having spare change lying around if ever needed for a toll-road charge.
Green cars
Over the centuries, green has been considered an unlucky color in Western culture, being the shade of malicious spirits looking to do you harm. This idea now applies to green cars, as many people testify to bizarre mechanical and driving experiences while operating green cars. In fact, many race-car drivers won’t operate green vehicles after infamous racing wrecks in 1911 (Lee Oldfield) and 1920 (Gaston Chevrolet) that killed the drivers and nearby fans.
Bird poop
Yes, some people consider a bird pooping on their car to be a sign of good fortune and wealth from the heavens — rather than a messy irritant that ruins your car’s finish.
The number 13
Everyone knows the belief that the number 13 is unlucky, and that sentiment even influences our travel habits. Many people believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day to drive — even having the inaccurate reputation of being an exceptionally dangerous day to drive — and some refuse to purchase new cars on that day or drive on roads that have the number 13 in their name. Many race car drivers refuse to have the number 13 on their car.
Racing rituals
Race car drivers have their own superstitions, too, as described by How Stuff Works and Top Speed. These rituals vary from driver to driver and sport to sport but generally involve doing all sorts of things for good luck or to avoid crashing. This involves everything from wearing mismatched shoes to putting on the right side of clothing items before the left to entering the car from a certain side.
Feet lift
This habit is not as common as some of the others mentioned here, but it is done religiously by those who don’t like traveling over bridges. Lifting your feet while driving over a bridge (an especially dangerous practice for those in the driver’s seat) is meant to “reduce” the weight you’re putting on the bridge to lower the likelihood of it collapsing.
Wedding cans
We’ve all been to a wedding where the bride and groom make a grand exit in a car that has tin cans tied to the rear bumper to drag along the ground. This act of noisemaking is associated with the tradition of making celebratory noise and merriment for the couple out of excitement and good fortune in marriage. The practice may have originated with the old tradition of throwing shoes at the couple’s car, hoping to hit it for good luck — an act that eventually led to the shoes being tied to the back of the car.
What rituals or good-luck habits do you practice behind the wheel? Share them with us!
Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.