The most common driving mistakes 

On Behalf of | May 12, 2023 | Personal Injury

One of the best things you can do as a driver is to become a defensive driver. The overall goal of defensive driving is to anticipate the mistakes that other drivers are going to make. You already know that they are going to make mistakes, so anticipating them gives you the most possible reaction time to avoid a crash.

But what are those mistakes going to look like? It is important to carefully consider some of the most common driving errors that people commit so that you can know exactly what to look for.

10 of the top mistakes

There are potentially hundreds of different mistakes people can make on the road, which is why accidents are so common. But here are 10 of the most common ones:

  • Changing lanes without using a turn signal 
  • Turning from the wrong lane 
  • Driving slowly in the left lane on the interstate 
  • Weaving in and out of traffic and driving recklessly 
  • Stopping without warning and for no clear reason 
  • Speeding up when the light turns yellow, rather than slowing down to stop 
  • Not looking for pedestrians in crosswalks or failing to stop for them 
  • Driving with their high beams on at all times 
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs 
  • Texting and driving, or using the phone to make a call

Naturally, many of these mistakes can also be combined. For instance, someone may turn without using a turn signal specifically because they were texting and driving and they didn’t have a free hand. Two mistakes become one, and it’s more likely that a crash will occur.

Being a defensive driver can help you avoid these accidents, but you could still be injured when someone else is negligent. Make sure you know what legal options you have if this occurs.