10 common mistakes drivers make while driving

It is worth saying that many drivers usually neglect the basic steps to ensure safety while driving. These drivers tend to think that a little distraction is not harmful. In fact, this thought is totally wrong. Even that little thing could have taken your life for good. It is hard to answer how a good driver would be, but can easily list 10 common mistakes that drivers usually make while driving.

1. Loose focus on the traffic

Texting, chatting on phone, talking, eating, dreaming and so on are ones of many distracting things that have been made while driving. These are just the very first level, which means it is only safe if you can put them under control.

Once you too focus on them, who knows what is going to happen. It has always been said that, you need to highly pay attention to your driving. Unless it is inevitable or really necessary, the biggest priority is still ensuring the safety.

>>> Must read: 6 things you should know about Anti Distracted Driving Act in the Philippines

The more attention you lose, the more dangerous it will be

2. Mind about unnecessary things on traffic

Maybe you are paying attention, but if your willing is not strong enough, you will still be attracted by tons of what you should not care about.

For example, you keep your eyes too much at the ahead, so you lose your rear view at the same time. The same thing could happen if the only things in your view are the traffic signs or red lights. You can’t even notice the potholes right in front of your car, because you are busy complementing another gorgeous car passing by. Perhaps, we don’t need to remind you about the consequences.

3. Not maintain proper pressure for the tires

Usually, manufacturers recommend you keep the pressure level of all four tires at a standard level, which is indicated in the manual. However, some people don’t care about this much, although this is the most important as well as basic car maintenance.

Tires with enough air inside not only help you control the car stably, but also improve the fuel efficiency. Otherwise, they will quickly be damaged due to abrasion with road surface. Flat tires are fuel-consuming because they can slow the car down significantly. Keep in mind to regularly check for the tire air pressure. It would be best if you have the pressure monitor with you.

Air pressure check is one of the most important as well as forgotten practices

4. Not invest in parallel parking skill

Although this is one of the most common and important practice which you must pass to get the driver’s license, not many can perform a perfect parallel parking. To be honest, this practice is quite difficult to master. But if you spend enough time practicing, soon or later you will be able to do it anyway. Once you get it on your hand, you could avoid unnecessary scratches for your car and for others’. Additionally, you will be safer with your driving skills improved a lot.

A recently-gone viral video of a woman trying to park her car which is called "world's worst attempt at parallel parking" (more enjoyable with sound turned on)

5. Waste money on premium car fuel

There are some car models requiring high-quality fuel to function, but generally those cars are not common. Don’t be misunderstand that using such premium fuel will help your car run better.

According to car experts, cars which are not designed to use premium fuel will operate with the same performance as when using regular type of fuel. To understand which fuel you should apply to your car, dig into the manufacturer’s manual or look for online information.

Not all models need premium model, so may yours

6. Careless when crossing wet and slippery road

Messages saying that be careful while driving under bad weather can be found anywhere. But yet, this is still what many people refuse to follow. Wet road due to raining, plus leaking engine oil will take your control to the car away. Therefore, remember to keep the speed at safety level and watch out for every situation.

7.  Not drive in an environment-friendly style

Check carbon emissions at least once a year

For your information, 50% – 90% of polluted air, which leads to green house effect and global warming, is the exhausted air from millions of vehicles. We are gradually killing ourselves by not using vehicles smartly.

There is a term of eco-driving referring to the style of driving which limits as much as possible the waste of fuel. The less fuel is consumped, the less polluted air is emitted to the environment. In case you have never heard about this, we summarize main ideas of eco-driving style as below:

• Leave unnecessary cargo at home to save weight;
• Make a plan before driving, combine short trips to save fuel. If not necessary, use foot and bicycle instead;
• Drive easily and smooth. Too fast driving will consume more fuel when you suddenly press the brake and also more dangerous;
• Do car check regularly, replace old and damaged components as soon as possible, keep air tire pressure at standard recommendation;
• Let the engine rest when not in use. Don’t hang around while the car is still running or waste your fuel on the air-conditioner.

There is more but we gave you the most basic ones. According to in-depth studies, you can save up to 45 mpg per 1600 km

8. Show incorrect turning signal or change it too quickly

Keep in mind that other drivers can’t immediately notice your turning signal right after you turn on the light. Therefore, you need to turn it on a few seconds before taking any turn. Show the signal long enough before turning will give other people time to notice and make way for you. Don’t forget to turn the light off when you have turned or when you don’t really want to turn. That could be a misunderstanding and sometimes could cause accidents.

9. Neglect to adjust the car to fit your body figure

Stop back pain driving - How to set up your car seat correctly

Cars are designed to be used by different types of drivers with different types of figures. Your body may be not like the standard figure set by the car manufactures, so you should adapt it to fit you needs. It seems like some people are too lazy for this, making this be one of the most common mistakes while driving.

Components such as seats, rear-view mirrors, seat belts and so on are the things you should have an adjustment. A car which fit you will give you better control in any circumstance. Read our tips for correctly adjusting your car seat for proper driving posture.

10. Think that car payment from dealers is everything

Actually, it is not. Beside the payment you have to spend from the beginning, maintenance fees are important to your car as well. To be able to function stably, the car need to be taken care of regularly. 6 months is the maximum amount of time you should check your car, the more regular the better.

Additionally, many details need to be checked more often, such as tires, battery and radiator. Some components of the engine need to be lubricated as well. You could say it costs so much each time. It might, but it is still far cheaper than the expense you have to pay when the car is heavily damaged due to not being properly maintained.

We have just shown you 10 most common mistakes while driving that drivers tend to make. Share our post if you find it helpful for you and your friends. Hope you have a healthy car and enjoy your safe trips!

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