8 Common Driving Superstitions—And the Strange Reasons We Follow Them

You might have a connection to your car that goes beyond just driving from place to place. Perhaps you have some great memories from road trips you’ve made with it, or you’re one of those drivers who name their car.

You also may have some superstitious habits that you practice to make sure your car is running with the best luck possible. Even though they probably don’t help all that much, there’s something about having a car ritual that people like to follow. Are any of these on your list of required habits when you’re behind the wheel?

1. Holding Your Breath Past a Graveyard
2. Lifting Your Feet Over Railroad Tracks
3. Touching the Ceiling Through a Yellow Light
4. Considering Bird Poop as Good Luck
5. Holding Your Breath Through a Tunnel
6. Putting Loose Change Under Your Seat
7. Avoiding Green Cars
8. Adding Lucky Charms

Holding Your Breath Past a Graveyard

Some drivers find graveyards to be spooky and scary, so they may go the extra step of holding their breath while driving past one as a superstition. Reasons for this include drivers who don’t want to breathe in a spirit as they drive past or alert the dead to know that someone alive is driving by. Other drivers may skip holding their breath but instead honk their horn past a graveyard to scare away bad spirits.

Lifting Your Feet Over Railroad Tracks

Have you ever instinctively picked up your feet when you’ve driven over railroad tracks? It’s a common superstition, with some believing you won’t meet your true love or get married if you don’t lift when heading across the tracks. But this superstition could also be dangerous when it requires a driver to take their foot off the gas pedal, so practice it with caution.

Touching the Ceiling Through a Yellow Light

Going through a yellow light can be a bit tricky, as you’re cutting it close and don’t want it turning red before you get through the intersection. So perhaps you say a little thank you to the yellow light by brushing the ceiling of your car with your hand as you go through. Other superstitious drivers may show their respect for the yellow light by touching their sun visor or kissing their fingers and touching their car.

Considering Bird Poop as Good Luck

Have you ever come out to find bird poop on your parked car? It can be a real bummer—or, for some, a good sign. Some drivers think that bird poop on your car is a mark of good luck. Feel free to wash it off when you can while taking some good car karma with you on your next drive. As reported by BirdFact, the belief that bird poop is good luck may have originated in Russia, with some speculating it might be considered so just because getting pooped on is a rare occurrence.

That said, your car getting pooped on isn’t as rare, so maybe it shouldn’t be considered good luck!

Holding Your Breath Through a Tunnel

Another superstition that may be better for you to ditch is holding your breath through a tunnel. Sure, you probably aren’t the only one, but holding your breath while driving could cause health and safety issues. While the origins of this practice could stem from the belief that tunnel air could cure whooping cough, so riders would save the air for sick children, now, people mostly do it to avoid facing bad luck.

You probably want to avoid this superstitious habit, though—especially if you're driving through some of the longest traffic tunnels in the U.S.

Putting Loose Change Under Your Seat

Picking up a new car can be an exciting event, and you’ll want to make sure your new car is lucky as you start to drive it around town, right?. Some drivers may actually put a little bit of loose change under the seat of their new car in a practice known as “car coining” for some extra luck to help them as they take to the road and start enjoying their new wheels. It might even help you out if you’re in a bind on a toll road.

Avoiding Green Cars

This superstition is more likely to be found among race car drivers than the average SUV on the road, but it’s still a strange one worth noting. Race car drivers have plenty of cars in plenty of colors, but typically will refuse to drive a predominantly green car.

One theory is that this goes back to a pair of drivers who died while driving green cars in the 1910s and 1920s, but the superstition continues to this day. But the green car superstition does carry over to the general driving population, with some drivers believing the color attracts accidents and bad luck on the road.

Adding Lucky Charms

Perhaps you believe your luck comes in the form of an actual lucky charm, and you wouldn’t be alone. Drivers may have lucky fuzzy dice hanging from their car mirrors or a crystal to help them with positive energy. Religious drivers may also traditionally include charms dedicated to St. Christopher, who is the patron saint of travelers. It goes without saying that adding these trinkets to your journey is meant to keep the driver as safe as possible.

You May Also Like: