5 common mistakes that are disastrous on the road

Car accidents are an unfortunate but common occurrence of the road.

Some accidents however, are more common than others and the same mistakes are made time and time again.

Often avoidable mistakes.  

To help you steer clear of these slip ups I’ve put together a list of some of the most common causes of accidents and how you can avoid them.

Distraction kills

Letting your mind wander when behind the wheel could end disastrously.

Worrying about what you’re going to be having for tea – a stir fry? A salad? Last nights pizza? Or thinking about who’s going out at the weekend or whether you locked the front door.

These are all thoughts that should be saved for when you’re stationary.

You need to focus on everything that’s going on around you. Use your mirrors, pay attention to the road ahead and keep an eye on the cars around you.

It’ll end badly if you don’t.

Wake up! It’s time to drive

Every year thousands, if not millions, of people get behind the wheel with tired eyes.

‘I’ll wake up when I’m out there.’

You might do. But probably not. Chances are you’ll be on auto-pilot and not paying anywhere near enough attention to what’s happening on the road.

As you can probably guess, this isn’t the smartest idea.

Before you enter a car always ask yourself – am I alert enough to drive?

If it’s late at night your body is ready for bed, not ready to navigate your way through dark streets.

If you must hit the road in the dark make sure you’ve had plenty of sleep before hand.

Caution! Slippery when wet

Snow, rain, even the glaring sun have all, at some point, caused an accident.

If the weather’s really bad don’t go out. Especially if you’re new to driving.

Trying to navigate your car through snow is difficult even for even the most able drivers.

You aren’t a racing driver

If you own a driving license then I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but if you speed, you’re not just putting yourself at risk, but everyone else around you too.

Always make sure you know the speed limit of the road you’re on.

Speeding will eventually cause an accident. And you’ll be the one to blame.

One thing at a time

As I mentioned earlier, driving requires your undivided attention.

So do you think driving and texting is a good idea?

We’ve all seen it – someone behind the wheel eating a cheese burger, on the phone, or doing their hair.

Never, ever try and doing anything else whilst driving. Purchase a hands free kit for your phone if you have to.

Just as long as you aren’t trying to organise the kids’ next day out while rocketing down the motorway at 70 MPH.

So, whether you’ve been behind the wheel for years or just a few days, make sure that you don’t do any of the above.

It’ll only end up causing an accident.  

Best case scenario – your cars bumper takes a hit

Worst case scenario – you end up in A&E or worse…