For all of us, mistakes and errors are possible in every area of life. Most traffic accidents on roads and highways are due to human errors. Yet, many of us repeatedly make the same driving mistakes. These errors arise from bad habits, lack of awareness, or failure to pay attention to other vehicles. It’s no wonder scientists are striving to replace conventional vehicles with self-driving cars to minimize human errors.
Common Driving Mistakes
In this article, we will discuss 7 of the most common driving mistakes.
1- Incorrect Mirror Adjustment
One common driving mistake is improper mirror adjustment. The front and side mirrors are crucial tools that inform the driver of the surroundings. Properly adjusting the mirrors and ensuring their correct angles are essential actions before starting to drive. However, many drivers ignore this important step, which can significantly contribute to minor and major accidents.
The best practice is to spend a few moments adjusting the mirrors as soon as you get into the car and ensure that the side mirrors show other vehicles instead of the car door itself.
2- Driving Slowly in the Passing Lane
You’ve likely encountered drivers who move slowly in the passing lane without regard to the traffic they’re causing behind them. This driving mistake is not only annoying to other drivers but can also be very dangerous. All drivers should remember that the right lanes are for slower speeds, and the left lanes are for faster driving. Driving slowly in the passing lane shows a disregard for other drivers’ rights and ignores traffic laws.
3- Not Using Turn Signals
Many drivers completely ignore their turn signals and forget that these lights play a crucial role in driving safety by informing others of the driver’s intentions. When we fail to use turn signals while changing lanes on the highway or turning into a street, drivers behind us have to react suddenly and without prior warning. This is one of the situations where traffic accidents occur.
4- Keeping High Beams On
This habit can be very dangerous. While high beams are essential when driving on poorly lit roads, they should be turned off when other vehicles are present.
Keeping these lights on disrupts the vision of other drivers and distracts them. Always pay attention to your car’s dashboard lights and turn off any lights that might have been accidentally left on.
5- Changing Lanes While Turning
This is a driving mistake that many people overlook. It is dangerous and can result in significant costs. The correct and safe method is to stay in your lane while turning, rather than using turn signals to warn others that you will change lanes after turning.
Many people tend to make wide turns and change lanes. This can lead to severe collisions with vehicles that are turning in the same lane.
6- Accelerating When Seeing a Yellow Light
We all know that a yellow light means to slow down, not speed up! Yet, most of us accelerate when we see a yellow light instead of braking, because we don’t want to wait at a red light for two or three minutes.
This can lead to serious dangers. Most accidents at intersections occur for this reason. You should gradually reduce your speed when you see a yellow light and wait behind the red light.
7- Stopping Without Warning
This is one of the most dangerous and common driving mistakes. Many drivers suddenly brake when they see a parking spot they have been searching for.
The problem is that the driver behind you may not have enough time to stop and could rear-end your vehicle. These accidents can range from minor to severe with varying degrees of damage.
