Is it true that you’re impatient if you can’t stand even the smallest amount of traffic? Does driving with both hands tensely on the steering wheel all the time indicate that you are naturally cautious? The quick response? Yes, you most likely are.
Your driving habits can reveal a lot about your personality type, according to 2 Know Myself, a medical website dedicated to fostering a greater understanding of human psychology, emotion, and behaviour. We all have good days and bad days, of course. When we are in a hurry, having a bad day, or playing our favourite music on the way home, our mood might be transmitted into the road. The way you drive your car can reveal a lot about you, just like your choice of vehicle might reveal some aspects of your personality too!
Click4Reg, a private UK number plate supplier, has compiled a list of driving styles to find out how you drive! The below looks at the physical aspects we use when driving, such as positioning our hands on the steering wheel. Which type best describes you?
Which Of The Below Driving Styles Matches Your Driving?
Two Hands At The Side of The Steering Wheel
If you drive with two hands on the steering wheel at all times, you might just be a perfectionist! You like to do things the correct way and have attention to detail, especially when it comes to driving.
Two Hands At The Top Of The Steering Wheel
If you grip the steering wheel quite cautiously with both hands, you are most likely a nervous nellie. Driving isn’t necessarily your favourite thing for you, and you can be quite introverted. You need to be in full control at all times, which is why you rarely let go of the steering wheel until you reach your destination.
One Hand At The Top Of The Steering Wheel
This driving style is most often associated with laid-back drivers who are very confident and comfortable with their driving ability. You may approach certain situations with a relaxed attitude and approach. This driving style might also match those who like to look cool when they are driving too.
One Hand At The Side Of The Steering Wheel
If you tend to drive with one hand, either right or left of the steering wheel, it means you’re a confident and minimalist driver! You prefer to keep things simple; you’re self-aware and avoid attention.
How Our Moods Can Change Our Driving Style
The two main aspects that affect a person’s behaviour behind the wheel are current mood and psychological makeup. Our personalities decide the driving style we will adhere to most of the time; however, our moods can help explain why we occasionally change it. We take a deeper look into this later on in the article.
- The urge to be in control
People who are control freaks or who are obsessed with being in control would retaliate violently against other drivers if they make them do something they don’t want to. For instance, if one motorist keeps flashing their high beams into another’s rearview mirror to allow them to accelerate, the other driver will refuse to accelerate if they value their sense of control. The same exact thing will be done by a stubborn driver. In fact, stubbornness is nothing more than a defence mechanism used by an individual to maintain control.
- Ego & achievement
Overconfident drivers are rarely willing to let someone overtake them. Those drivers may proceed smoothly until someone quickly passes them in a way that irritates them. These individuals might begin competing with anyone who dared to challenge them since they don’t tolerate finishing second because they feel that they are more deserving than others.
- Many drivers who start racing with other competitors feel inferior to them
It’s not unusual for a driver of an old vehicle to attempt a race with a driver of a brand-new sports vehicle. In this situation, the driver already feels inferior to the person operating the new vehicle, so they want to feel superior to the other driver. In other words, some drivers compete in races alongside other drivers to score a quick victory and get the blood racing!
- Road rage and aggression
Aggressive people are the ones who were taught that using violence to resolve disputes is the best course of action. Because they know that strength may be employed to subdue other drivers, these individuals frequently favour larger, more powerful cars or trucks. These drivers succeed in intimidating other drivers and keeping them at a distance by choosing a vehicle that is larger and more powerful than the majority of vehicles. The reputation of being risky is one that those drivers desire to keep because it makes them feel more deserving.
- Cautionary drivers.
Some motorists exercise excessive caution. They never drive faster than the posted speed limit, they always buckle up, and they never engage in vehicle racing. These are the people who are also too cautious in real life. Rebels, or those who disobey standards, are the reverse. While rebels might not always drive safely, you can still see a lot of them driving without licences, disobeying traffic signs, and occasionally driving recklessly.
So, can we tell who someone is based on how they drive?
It may appear to be a stretch to connect the two, but it actually makes sense when you think about it. People can channel their inner emotions and behavioural tendencies into driving, just as they might buy an expensive item when stressed or yell at someone when they’re angry. So, whether it’s the pace we drive at or the kind of vehicle we possess, what we’re like behind the wheel can reveal a lot about who we are.
