Consider yourself a good driver? You might want to reconsider after you’ve had a look at this list.
Every motorist makes mistakes, and even if you’ve been driving for years it’s easy to let your skills slip; after all, with confidence can often come complacency.
Maybe you can heel-and-toe, maybe you can drift like Ken Block or perhaps you’ve even taken your Pass Plus test, but we can guarantee you’ve made every single one of these mistakes at some point - probably in the past week alone.
Don’t believe it? Read on and prepare to be shocked…
1. Getting distracted
Particularly if you’re on a long journey, it can be tempting to sneak a quick peek at a text message if you hear your phone buzz, fiddle with the radio or to finish of that half-eaten sandwich festering on the dashboard.
The trouble is that taking your eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, can have seriously dangerous consequences.
For instance, did you know that if you’re travelling at 55mph, taking your eye off the road for only 4.6 seconds means you’ll drive the entire length of a football pitch without looking? At higher speeds, the distance travelled and the danger involved only increases.
If that wasn’t bad enough, many drivers don’t realise that it’s still an offence to use a mobile phone when the vehicle is stationary with the engine still running. That means you can’t text at the traffic lights, by the side of the road or even in a lay-by, or else you risk getting in trouble with the law.
2. Not planning ahead
Found yourself in a rush to get somewhere you’re not familiar with, and instead of consulting Google Maps or a sat-nav you’ve decided to wing it with a rough idea, hoping that you’ll figure it out as you go along?
It’s bad news if you have, because failing to plan ahead for unfamiliar journeys can be a potentially hazardous mistake.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, having a good idea of where you’re going and exactly how long it’ll take to get there is always worthwhile. Otherwise, if you’re in a hurry you might end up rushing, which can significantly increase your chances of a collision.
3. Failing to use indicators at roundabouts
We all get sloppy from time to time and there’s probably not a driver on earth who hasn’t accidentally failed to put their indicators on at least once or twice.
Even still, they’re there for a reason, so if you’re in the habit of ignoring them then you’d better get back into the practice of indicating pretty sharpish. Particularly at roundabouts, they’re crucial to let other drivers know where you’re intending to go.
Signal right if your exit is past 12 o’clock, but don’t forget the next part of the sequence: signalling left before you approach the turnoff you want to take. That way, everybody will know where you’re headed and will clear a path in the traffic accordingly.
And please, for the love of God, don’t be that guy who cuts across three lanes of traffic to take a sudden exit without indicating. You know who you are, and everybody hates you.
4. Not checking your mirrors thoroughly
Remember how your driving instructor used to hammer “mirror, signal, manoeuvre” into you at every opportunity? He wasn’t just doing it for the good of his health, it’s actually pretty important.
According to the Institute of Advanced Motorists, failing to check your mirrors sufficiently is one of the most frequently forgotten things even by seasoned drivers, who often don’t even realise their own lack of attention.
Particularly when turning off at junctions or in dense urban traffic, many drivers don’t check their wing mirrors to keep an eye out for cyclists or motorcyclists who are trying to filter past. Of course, if you can’t see them then it’s pretty hard to avoid driving into them.
5. Not drinking enough water
It might seem like a pretty surprising mistake, after all what could not drinking enough water have to do with driving, but in fact it’s actually one of the biggest things that drivers get wrong.
Usually when you hear “drinking” and “driving” in the same sentence, it’s to do with alcohol, but even a one per cent drop in hydration levels can have a massive and dangerous impact on concentration levels.
Shockingly, a study published in science journal Physiology & Behavior found that dehydrated drivers make as many errors as people who get behind the wheel after a few beers too many.
Motorists who fail to drink enough water on average make twice as many gaffes, like drifting across lanes, braking late or crossing over rumble strips, than drivers who have sufficiently topped up on fluids.
So the next time you’re taking a long journey down the motorway, forget about that coffee and instead buy a bottle of water. You never know, it could save your life.
