We all pick up bad habits the longer we are behind the wheel. Even though we all start with a squeaky-clean driving record, most of us end up a little dinged and dented along the way. Here are 4 of the most common driving mistakes that happen along the roadways. (I am not including "cell phone use while driving" in this article because we should all know better by now.) Look and see if any of them are vaguely familiar to you.
- Cut-Off - Cutting in front of someone is always bad manners. If you are in a car, it can be very dangerous. Most cutoffs occur on accident when we are distracted and need to get into another lane or street quickly. But swerving to get where you need to be can cause a chain reaction of knee jerk swerving from other drivers.
- Rear-End - Taking off before the car in front of you has had time to do so ends up in a “rear-ending” situation. Don’t be so hyper-focused on the light turning green that you forget you are not the first car in the line. Stay focused and wait for the traffic to move so you don’t cause a rear-end crash.
- Blind Spot - Lots of new cars on the highway are now equipped with electronic blind-spot monitors. These are a great addition to safety systems, but it is always a good idea to check the old-fashioned way. Make sure your rear-view mirrors are positioned correctly for you to see all upcoming traffic before you take off. Check your mirrors and turn your head just to make sure no one is behind or beside you before changing lanes.
- Forever Turning - We have all gotten behind someone while on the road with their turning signal blinking. We cruise along and wait patiently for them to turn. Miles go by and it is obvious that they have no intention of turning off the road and have simply forgotten to turn off their blinker. This could happen to you! Be mindful that when you change lanes or even turn onto another street, you turn signal light could not flip off.
We all like to think we are good drivers. Most people tend to think they have “Above Average” driving skills, but we know that statically, that can’t be true.
