The Five Most Common Mistakes New Drivers Make
You don’t have to be a new driver to do this stuff. Drive in rush hour for five minutes, and you’ll see plenty of older drivers who are guilty too. Someone asked driving instructors to name the top mistakes new drivers make.
Here are the mistakes they see the most often . . .
1. Not paying close enough attention in traffic. Like not looking at what’s up ahead on the highway. And they tend to have tunnel vision, so they don’t glance left and right when they go through intersections.
2. Not checking blind spots. Even with all the sensors and cameras that cars have now, you should still be glancing over your shoulder before you change lanes, merge, or back up.
3. Rolling through stop signs. You’re supposed to stop BEFORE the white line on the road, then inch forward if you can’t see. New drivers tend to stop after the line . . . because it’s what their parents do.
4. Tailgating. New drivers don’t have a great sense for how long it takes to stop. You’re supposed to leave at least three seconds of space between you and the car in front of you. Even more if you’re on the highway or it’s raining.
5. Signaling too late or too early. The general rule is at least 100 feet before your turn. But doing it too soon can make it look like you’re turning somewhere else. So, someone could think you’re turning and pull out in front of you.