Few things in life scream success from the rooftops like a luxury car. It’s almost like the culmination of lofty childhood dreams: You got a good job and worked your ass off till you were able to afford a pricey statement vehicle — hopefully without breaking the bank. So, with this sense of arriving at the big players’ table, some bad habits may sneak up on you when you’re behind the wheel. You’ve probably watched enough cliché-filled movies to know what I’m talking about; The obnoxious rich person driving without a care in the world because they’re in their own little bubble.

The complaints of other road users may be registered as jealousy instead of an honest critique, too. In your head, the average person just doesn’t understand what it’s like to drive heaven on wheels. This sense of superiority is validated by the sheer comfort levels in your cabin and the roar of your powerful engine when you engage the throttle.

Well, it’s time to reel your excitement in and drive responsibly. The inside of your car may be your world, but there are actions you take that affect the driving experience — and the lives — of road users around you. There are a plethora of bad habits you could pick up along the way due to your car’s status, and we’ll dive into them in detail, but we also have a list of bad habits that could be damaging your car.

One of the most annoying practices drivers face in day-to-day driving is tailgating, or driving too closely behind another vehicle. Tailgating is illegal in every state in the US, but it can be challenging to prove the violation if it ever makes it to court. That doesn’t mean it’s any less annoying, and sometimes it can be downright dangerous. When you’re tailgating, you greatly increase the risk of crashing into the car in front of you because you simply don’t give yourself enough time to react to sudden movements. Studies show that tailgating massively increases the risk of accident. Now, given that you have a luxury car, two things might encourage you to tailgate.

The first thing is that you might be overly confident in your state-of-the-art brakes. However, while technology has made braking faster and more efficient — some sports cars can go from 60 mph to a dead stop in less than 90 feet — you should still be cautious about putting yourself in a situation where you need to break so fast. There’s also the factor of a knock-on effect to consider: Cars behind you may not be able to stop as quickly as you can.

The second thing that might cause you to tailgate is impatience. For performance-oriented luxury cars, at the very least, acceleration is really rapid. When there’s a car in your way, you’re sending the message to the driver in front to clear off. You’d be surprised how many road rage incidents begin that way. Drive sensibly, and you’d avoid a lot of nasty fallouts.

As mentioned earlier, performance-oriented luxury cars are really fast. That almost encourages drivers to spread their wings and fly to enjoy their rides to the fullest. However, if you’re not driving on a protected racecourse, you need to consider how your joyriding affects other road users.

We’ve seen one too many content creators on TikTok and other social media platforms showcasing their high-end cars weaving through tight spaces between other vehicles at high speeds in traffic. The rationale behind this, however shallow, is that the regular traffic rules (written or unwritten) somehow don’t apply to luxury car owners. That includes stuff like rolling stops and other untoward driving habits.

Unfortunately, there’s a reason why the cautionary slogan “Speed Kills” was coined. All it takes is one mistimed overtaking maneuver to put your life and that of others around you on the road in serious jeopardy. There’s a time and place to stretch your feet and push your car to its performance limits – and that’s on an actual racetrack. On ordinary highways and streets where drivers are simply trying to get to their destinations or taking a light cruise, you need to be more considerate.

There’s an acquired status that comes with driving a luxury car. The very appearance is engineered to either subtly or obscenely hint at wealth, depending on your aesthetic tastes. As such, you’re likely to experience behavioral changes from other drivers towards you whenever you go for a drive — especially if you drive in a place where aggressive driving is commonplace.

Nobody wants to be responsible for damaging a luxury car, as the financial implications for insurance are often too great to ignore. So, when regular drivers come into close proximity with a luxury car, they might maintain a healthy distance and sometimes give leeway even in uncomfortable situations. That doesn’t mean you need to abuse that advantage, though. In this context, forcing the right of way on the roads means leveraging your vehicle’s status (or in some cases, sheer physical size) to force your way into traffic instead of waiting for an appropriate opening.

Here, you rely on others yielding to your car because of its price tag. Nobody wants to have to deal with insurance, even if they’re in the right, so you force others to make a “business decision,” so to speak. That’s practically bullying. Everyone else on the road is just as important as you are, and you shouldn’t make awkward or aggressive maneuvers because you know the other party will come out worse for wear.

This one’s more popular with owners of sports cars. Sometimes you can’t resist the urge to show off. You worked so hard to buy a vehicle equipped with virtually every performance-enhancing feature on the planet, so why not use it liberally even in situations where it’s uncalled for?

If you’ve come across Ferraris, Lamborghinis, or sports cars of that ilk at an intersection, you probably know what we’re talking about. There’s a smugness that almost radiates off them at a traffic stop, which precedes loud engine revs when the lights are still red. While some car enthusiasts can appreciate the exhaust echoes, revving gives off unpleasant vibes that nobody wants to be around. It’s considered rude to go around town making all the noise you possibly can, just so every road user and passerby knows there’s a luxury car on the move.

While it’s not any other person’s prerogative to tell you how to drive your car, there are basic rules of etiquette you’d do well to follow. If a road user gives you a thumbs up through the window or an appreciative honk of the horn, by all means, you can humor them with a few revs. That’s good-spirited. Otherwise, you’re just adding to the already high noise levels and furthering the reputation that sports car drivers are inconsiderate.

We’ve already talked at length about some of the etiquette rules drivers of luxury cars break, but there’s a final one that is so prevalent that it has birthed scientific studies. Riding around in an expensive vehicle gives drivers confidence, and while that’s not a bad thing when kept in check, it’s become clear that there’s a defined correlation between car value and bad behavior.

A study from the University of Helsinki discovered that male owners of “high-status” vehicles were more likely to exhibit argumentative and unempathetic behavior on the road. That study profiled nearly 2,000 drivers, and some of the worst character traits showed up repeatedly in luxury car owners. To be even more specific, the study pointed fingers at German brands such as BMW in particular, with those drivers having a tendency to flout basic traffic rules: running red lights, speeding, and general recklessness. Even beyond committing a ticket-worthy offense, moments where simple courtesy could be exercised are often ignored by luxury car drivers. Yielding to pedestrian traffic seems to be an especially touchy subject — the likelihood of cars slowing down to let pedestrians cross seems to reduce by 3% for every $1,000 increase in car value.

Everyone’s time is precious on the road, from pedestrians to supercar owners. There’s no hierarchy that places yours above others. Let the odd pedestrian through at a crossing, learn to exercise patience and breathe. Be comfortable, but not at the expense of others.