Why Are Minivan Drivers So Bad? (3 Main Reasons)

In a lot of ways, driving a minivan is more or less  identical to driving a car. Although a minivan has a different shape and size than a smaller car it should be driven about the same. 

Often people will find that minivan drivers seem to be more dangerous while on the road than drivers of other vehicles. Why would this be? Is there anything that makes minivan drivers be worse drivers than other people or is it simply a coincidence? 

The demographic for minivans tends to skew older and older people often have difficulties with driving which in turn means that it’s more likely to encounter bad drivers with minivans. 

It’s not that older people are all bad drivers but as we age we tend to start to have hearing loss, eyesight issues, and our reflexes are even likely to slow down. Any one of these can make driving a vehicle more difficult but with all three combined it simply means older people aren’t able to drive their cars as safely as they used to. 

Another reason that minivans are often driven badly is because of bigger blind spots and more distractions. Since minivans hold 7-8 people they are larger vehicles which means the blind spots from the mirrors will be bigger thereby making changing lanes more difficult.

Also because of the larger number of passengers the driver is more likely to be distracted by someone thereby causing them to pay less attention to the road and be a worse driver or as well. 

There are many different reasons why minivan drivers seem to be worse than drivers of other vehicle types but those are the most common reasons. 

Why do people drive minivans?

The reasons why minivans are chosen as a vehicle are almost as varied as the different people that drive them. 

Minivans are the vehicle of choice for some people because: 

• Comfort
• Ease of entry
• Passenger space
• Luggage space
• Business use

These are just a few reasons why people choose minivans over other similar vehicles on the market. 

Since minivans are very versatile they can be purchased for one of these reasons, all of these reasons, or totally different ones as well. 

What are the best tips for driving a minivan?

A minivan can be very helpful for you if you are a businessman who has just started a businessperson if you have a large family that needs the extra room. 

If you want to be a good driver you should follow some important tips which can keep your minivan and it’s passengers/cargo  safe and sound. 

Some tips to be kept in mind are as follows:

• Adjust the driver’s seat so you can easily see and reach everything.
  
• Know how to load the van safely (whether passengers or cargo)
  
• Know where all of the controls are before leaving so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road while driving.
  
• Know the length/height of the vehicle and how it is affected by wind as well as when turning/parking.   
• Know all of the blind spots. They can be larger on a minivan than normal cars so pay attention.
  

These are just a few things that you should pay extra attention to when you are driving a minivan. These are especially important if you are used to driving a smaller car. 

What are the proper ways of driving a minivan? 

Some things which can be helpful to you while you drive your minivan are mentioned below:

• When you are seated in the driver’s seat of your minivan, you may feel different when you first start because you may find it to be a bit different from a car. Be sure and adjust the seat, mirrors, etc. so that way to can see as much as possible of them blind spots and to get yourself as comfortable with the larger vehicle as possible. 

• Finding all of the control buttons in your minivan along with their features is another important thing to do before leaving. Trying to find where the headlights, cruise control, wipers, etc. are located when you are driving down the highway can turn dangerous quickly so know where the most important functions are before heading out. 

• You need to be very careful about the dimensions of the minivan you are traveling in. You should check how large/small of a turning radius it has, how fast it can accelerate, etc. All of this info is vital when you are on the road.

Is driving a minivan the same as driving a car?

The basic skills of driving are required for both a minivan and a car, but you will see that due to its size, a minivan reacts differently than a car on a road. 

A minivan will catch a lot more wind than a normal car so driving it in windy conditions can be quite a bit more difficult. 

It is also larger and heavier which means it will generally be slower to accelerate than a car (although this will vary depending on the minivan model). 

Another thing to remember is that since minivans are larger they will require more room to merge onto the highway or even to change lanes on a normal road. Be sure to take that into account or you could end up accidentally clipping another car. 

How long will a minivan last?

As a general thing, it can be said that all car manufacturers construct their vehicles to offer a lifetime of over 200,000 miles as long as you keep up with all the maintenance tips that are recommended and don’t wreck it before then. You shouldn’t skip getting your minivan serviced at regular intervals since service keeps the engine functioning smooth and will allow it to last longer as well.  

A well taken care of minivan can last 250-300k miles but eventually it just becomes more expensive to fix it than the vehicle is worth. 

Only you can decide when your minivan has reached that point but for most people it’s somewhere in the 200,000 mile range. 

Conclusion 

I hope that this article has been helpful in answering your questions about minivan drivers being bad, what makes driving a minivan different from a normal car, and other important information. 

In general I don’t think minivan drivers are intent i ally bad but since the demographic that own them tends to be older then minivan drivers tend to be older as well which means they are likely to have more issues.