Five Road-Worthy Resolutions for Your Car in 2025

With the dawn of a new year, it’s time for fresh starts and new experiences—starting with your driving. Leave your bad habits in 2024 and commit to these five resolutions, designed to make you a safer, more responsible driver in 2025.

Don’t Be the Highway Jerk 

The holidays can be a stressful time. You’ll often feel you should be in three places at once, and although modern technology can make it feel as though you are… at the end of the day, you’re still very much bound by your singular human body. As such, it can be easy to become more aggressive while driving around the holidays. And if you’re not careful, you can gradually slip into the worst type of driving persona: the highway jerk. 

Take a moment and refamiliarize yourself with the basics of highway etiquette. Don’t lane cut, weaving in and out of traffic to shave (at most) a few minutes off your arrival time. Conversely, if you’re holding up cars in the leftmost lane, safely transition over to the right. Utilize your turn signals and avoid tailgating; the vehicle in front of you should always have ample room for braking. 

Put Your Phone Down 

By now, most people have gotten pretty good at multi-tasking on their phones. That does not mean it’s suddenly okay to text while driving. Take care of your playlist and navigational priorities before leaving and resolve to ignore any text messages or other notifications until you reach your destination. With today’s connectivity options and voice-assisted commands, there are fewer excuses than ever to be physically holding or looking at your phone while driving. This is one habit that everyone needs to leave in 2024. 

Know Your Limitations, Always

In today’s high-speed world, knowing what you can’t do is almost as valuable as what you can. In 2025, resolve to not drive when you’re tired or drowsy. According to data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drowsy driving is responsible for 21% of all motor vehicle crashes resulting in a death. You probably don’t think of drowsy driving like you do drunk driving, but for the sleep deprived, the effects can be similar.  

Likewise, continue to monitor your age and health as it pertains to your driving. Age slows us all down, and if physical limitations are starting to cause safety concerns when you’re behind the wheel, it’s time to take an honest look at what your driving future looks like and plan accordingly. 

Slow Down at Yellow Lights Instead of Speeding Up 

As modern life accelerates, so too does the temptation to do so while driving. Recently, it seems the nature of the yellow light has shifted accordingly, with more drivers trying to beat out the red light in the waning moments of yellow’s turn. Unfortunately, the NTHSA reported 1,149 people killed in crashes that involved red light running in 2022.  

Life may be short, but it has the potential to get much shorter unless you reassess your approach to yellow lights. When the light turns yellow in 2025, try simply slowing down. 

Don’t Forget Your Seatbelt 

You’re another year older… but are you another year wiser? If this resolution isn’t a recurring feature on your list every year, the answer is no. The world may continue to change, but some things will never change; if you’re driving an automobile, wear a seatbelt.  

Resolve to Start Your Year at Raceway Nissan of Freehold

Here at Raceway Nissan of Freehold, the start of a new year means new adventures – and we’re proud to serve as your co-pilot. Whether you buy new or pre-owned in 2025, make sure to do so at a dealership where you win.