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Top 10 Most Common Mistakes That Most Drivers Make

We meet many people everyday who consider themselves expert drivers. However, we know that they cannot be as good as they think they are if they speed, drive drunk or tired, or break traffic rules almost every time. Studies show that most car accidents happen due to simple, everyday occurrences; things that some of us do every time we go driving. Here are the top 10 most common and dangerous driving errors that most drivers make.

bullet 1. Sharp Sudden Moves

Turning the car suddenly and sharply happens to be one of the most common mistakes drivers make that lead to minor and major vehicle collisions on the road. The underlying cause for the drift could be anything varying from misjudgement due to alcohol, distraction, or may even be due to simple inexperience. Whatever the actual cause is, if turning sharply or drifting is a symptom of the problem, you're likely to be making a car insurance claim.

bullet 2. Avoiding Collisions the Wrong Way

Drivers, in a state of panic, most often overreact when they suddenly sense a car accident. But the truth is, panicking at a near miss and overcorrecting often causes far worse crashes than the original would have been. If you feel you're one of those who overcorrect, you could easily train yourself out of the panic by just enrolling in a defensive driving course.

bullet 3. Mind the Anger

The entire stretch of road in front of you may seem extremely disturbed yet still. That could well be the definition of a traffic jam. Does getting angry help in any manner? Yet, most drivers start getting quite restless during such situations. Eventually, the restlessness increases until the anger leads to a crash into another car. The result? The wait still continues, while there's an addition of a few abuses and a rather mighty repair bill to pay. So, did the anger help in any way?

bullet 4. Give Way Please

These days, there is hardly any car driver on the road who wants to give way to fellow drivers. We just forget the rules. The give way system is one of the most important aspects that helps maintain order on the roads and a smooth traffic flow too. Not just this rule, stick to all traffic rules diligently and you may just be blessed for contributing your share to the chaos-free road for the day.

bullet 5. Manage Speed

Drive as per road conditions. On a smooth road or on the highway, you may drive your car at a greater speed than what is required while driving on a rough or traffic infected road. Studies on car accidents and car insurance claims show that travelling faster or slower than the average speed of the traffic at the time is one of the major causes of the car collisions.

bullet 6. Buttons are the Major Culprits

Every driver is aware that distractions can lead to collisions. It's time we stop thinking about our neighbours on the road and think about ourselves; accidents can happen to anyone including you. It is not possible to concentrate completely on driving while changing the radio station, dialling a number on the cell phone or texting. 8 out of 10 road crashes are caused due to distraction and avoiding such situations is the only escape.

bullet 7. Drive Cheerfully

Those who really love their cars love to go on a long drive while upset. It does ease up the mental tension, but puts the driver's life at risk. Mental stress is apparently one of the major distractions, and as mentioned earlier, 80 per cent of car accidents involve one form or the other of distraction. Make an intelligent choice by distracting your mind with something safer.

bullet 8. Dyslexia of the Feet

Mixing up the brake pedal and accelerator is one mistake most common among drivers; both learners and the experienced ones. A driver who is just getting trained panics when it comes to applying brakes all of a sudden and applies pressure on the accelerator instead. As far as the experienced ones are concerned, mental distraction happens to be the main cause.

bullet 9. Is the Move Worth a Life?

Flash the red signal when gambling approaches you. But, when it comes to gambling on the road, say "never". Gambling on the road doesn't always have negative consequences. But at times, the results can be life-destroying. If you're in doubt about the safety of a manoeuvre, stopping and waiting is the safest strategy. Nothing can be more important than saving your own life.

bullet 10. Skid Control

Around 15 per cent of all accidents are caused by vehicles skidding. In such situations, you need to turn in the direction of the skid and apply the brake. However, this advice seems to have been oversimplified. Attending a defensive driving course where you learn the theory and also get to practice could be your best bet and will hopefully avoid unnecessary car insurance claims from your end!

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