Five Most Common Mistakes New Drivers Make
Posted by admin at 20 April 2017, at 11 : 10 AM
For most of us, the first time you get to drive a car alone is when you’ve just passed the test. After all the driving lessons, and the test, you get unleashed on the roads. Unfortunately, for most of us, standards sometimes slip, and you get lazy. Now, this might not be the end of the world, but there are a few common mistakes that a lot of new drivers make, that could easily be avoided.
Speeding
After months of having an instructor there to remind you to stick to the speed limit, you can’t resist pressing a bit harder on the accelerator when you’re driving on your own. Increased speed can reduce the control you have over your car and can impact your stopping time, putting your safety, your passenger’s safety and the safety of those in vehicles around you at risk.
Having the music too loud
We’re all guilty of turning the volume up now and then. But if you turn it up too high you don’t hear noises from outside the car, such as the unmistakable sound of a motorbike, or even an emergency service siren. As a result, you won’t have enough time to plan where to pull over, or even end up hitting a motorcyclist.
Getting lazy
We all had the five point check, and mirror-signal-manoeuvre drummed into us, but without an instructor there to remind us, some of us get lazy, and start missing bits of those routines out. The mirrors are there for a reason, so we should definitely make sure we don’t forget to use them.
Tailgating
It’s easy to underestimate how much space you need to stop the car, especially if your first car’s brakes have seen better days. If you’re too close to the car in front, you don’t give yourself enough time to react if something happens, possibly resulting in you driving into their back. If you do that, it is never the other driver’s fault, as you should have given them more space.
Texting whilst driving
This is probably the most dangerous entry on this list. It’s easy to think “it’s only a quick text to let my friend know that I’m on the way, what harm could it do?” Well, it takes your eyes and concentration off the road for extended periods of time, which can be massively dangerous. It can also result in you getting your licence taken away. In some countries, if you’ve had your licence for less than two years, and get caught texting whilst driving, you can have your licence revoked, with a heavy fine on top. It’s not worth it!
If you just make sure you follow what you were told in your driving lessons, and keep focused on the road, you can avoid making most of these mistakes. So relax, don’t show off, and you can keep your no claims bonus. You passed the test for a reason, after all.