Specific ‘safe’ way of driving could actually cause you to do more damage to your car

It turns out that driving 'safe' in a specific way could actually cause more damage to your car.

Now, this isn't a prerequisite to ride around like you used to back on GTA, because if something bad happens you won't respawn at a hospital with 50 quid missing.

And if you're trying to outrun the cops in real life, the stars won't disappear.

Speed limits are there for a reason and there are no cheat codes in real life, so stay off your phone and keep your eyes on the road; your car, your insurance, and your future self will thank you.

That being said, there is a difference between keeping within the speed limit, and not pushing the gas pedal hard enough.

Using the accelerator properly

Jill Trotta, VP of the Auto Team at RepairPal, suggests that drivers need to put a significant amount of pressure on the pedal without 'flooring it'.

"Engines are made to be driven," Trotta explained, as reported by Readers Digest. "Always [being] light on the gas pedal, trying to ‘save’ the engine will cause carbon buildup in the combustion chamber.

"The engine needs to be pushed a bit harder on occasion to help clear these deposits."

You need to actually drive your cars (Getty Stock Images)

Drive your car

This also goes for people who don't drive their cars often enough.

Perhaps you have a vintage whip sat in your driveway which you're looking to preserve for the future. However, if you don't drive your cars at least once a week, you're likely to face some issues.

Roslyn McKenna, Car Insurance Publisher for Finder.com, said: "If your car is left sitting in the driveway for a few months, the battery could die, the tires could deflate, parts could rust, and the fluids could dry up."

To stop your rarely-driven car from getting to this stage, McKenna suggests: "Make sure you’re taking [it] for a spin once a week for at least 15–30 minutes to keep it in tune and burn off the engine condensation."

People who power break probably don't realise they're doing it (Getty Stock Images)

Power breaking

So if you drive an automatic or electric, another no-no is power breaking, which is when you press the gas and the break pedal at the same time.

This can put unnecessary strain on the transmission, break system and engine

Drivers will power break to launch quickly, but without realising, this can overheat components and lead to potentially expensive repairs.

Instead, you should drive smoothly and use the break to stop (which is why it's there for) and the accelerator to, you've guessed it, accelerate.