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Think you know everything there is to know about driving? So do most people. But these 13 common mistakes that inexperienced drivers make beg to differ. Keep reading to find out how you can turn common mistakes into learning opportunities and increase your chances of passing your road test.
Mistakes Can Prevent You From Passing Your DMV Driving Test
You’ve made it this far by studying. Why not for another couple minutes? Bear with us while we lay out the 13 most common mistakes student drivers make in their driving test and hopefully all your studies will pay off.
Having an Unprepared Vehicle
First off, make sure your vehicle is prepared for the test. If you don’t own a vehicle of your own, you’ll have to borrow somebody else’s. In either case, make sure you thoroughly prepare your vehicle for the test.
That means making sure it’s properly registered, up to date on its inspection requirements, and meets all of your state’s equipment requirements. Making sure that it’s clean wouldn’t hurt your chances either.
The hard part is knowing what a prepared vehicle is. Many new drivers don’t yet have a thorough understanding of all the thousands of pages of laws and regulations that govern traffic. So, to help you out, here are a few things to correct before going to your test:
- Under- or over-inflated tires.
- Cracks or chips in the windshield or other glass.
- Anything resulting in the “Check Engine” light being on.
- Broken headlights or taillights.
- An out-of-date vehicle registration.
Driving Too Fast or Too Slow
We’re sure you know that speeding is illegal. But did you know that driving too slow is also illegal in most places? Driving too slowly can qualify as any number of ticketable offenses, most commonly including impeding traffic.
To resolve this problem, make sure to routinely check your speedometer. It’ll tell you exactly how fast you’re going. But don’t make a habit of looking at your speedometer too much. A good rule of thumb is to only look at your speedometer while you’re changing speeds (accelerating or braking). That way, you remain focused on the road without drifting up or down in speed.
And remember to keep an eye for any speed limit signs.
Following Too Closely (Tailgating)
Following too closely is more commonly called tailgating. Tailgating is when you follow the car in front of you without providing a safe amount of distance between you. Experts recommend maintaining at least three seconds of space between you and the vehicle in front of you.
The easiest way to know how far that is is to pick one of the lines on the road (or another point of reference like a tree or mailbox). Once the car in front of you passes it, start counting. For example, “One Mississippi, two Mississippi,” and so on. If you don’t get to three, slow down and let the gap widen a bit.
Rolling Stops
Stop means stop. Many drivers are guilty of making rolling stops, which means driving through a stop sign without actually stopping. But the law requires you to come to a full and complete stop. In order to satisfy that requirement, your vehicle must be completely motionless before you resume moving. If your speedometer reads anything other than zero, then you might be committing a rolling stop.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents for younger drivers. As such, driving test instructors are always on the lookout for it. There should be no doubt that they’ll be watching your every move during that test. So, make any effort to use your phone while driving (even just to check the time) and you can safely bet that you’ve failed the test.
It might be a good idea to leave your phone behind when you go to take your road test. If you went with family or friends, ask them to hold onto it while you’re driving. That way, it’s far away from you and out of reach. As the old saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” And, if it’s out of your mind, you won’t be distracted by it, which means it won’t cause you to fail your test.
Braking Too Hard
Braking distance is one of the hardest things to learn when first learning to drive. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most important. After all, if you don’t know how to safely bring your two-thousand-pound motorized hunk of metal to a stop, then you can cause serious injury to other drivers.
If possible, make sure to bring the vehicle you’ve been practicing in with you to the road test. Every vehicle’s braking distance is different. Bringing the vehicle that you’re most comfortable with will reduce the odds of you not knowing when to start applying the brakes.
Not Checking Your Mirrors
Your mirrors are there for a reason. Use them! One of the easiest ways to get points knocked off your final score on your road test is for the instructor to not see you checking your mirrors. You should be sure to check your rearview mirror and both side mirrors every time you back up. Also, checking your mirrors while driving will give you a better idea of your surroundings, which can keep you safe on the road.
Being Confused at Four-Way Stops
Visible confusion while driving shows the instructor that you don’t know what you’re doing. And, when the instructor thinks you don’t know what you’re doing, they’re probably not going to give you a passing grade. Understand the right of way and how it applies to four-way stops and you can be a little less confused during your test.
The right of way determines who gets to go first at an intersection. Although your particular jurisdiction might have different local rules, here is the general priority for the order of right of way at a four-way interaction:
- Vehicles and pedestrians in the intersection when you arrive start with the right of way.
- Pedestrians waiting to legally cross.
- The vehicle that got to the intersection first. The vehicles that got there second, third, etc. follow in order of arrival.
- If you arrived at the same time as somebody, whoever’s turning left has the right of way.
Lacking Proper Steering Control
“Ten and two.” Failure to keep your hands in the proper location or to otherwise fail to demonstrate proper steering control is a surefire way to fail your road test. If you’re not sure whether you have proper steering control, visualize the steering wheel like a clock. Place your hands at 10 (left hand) and 2 (right hand). This will maximize your control of the wheel.
When turning, do not let go of the steering wheel. Instead, slide your hands over the wheel, controlling it with one and adjusting the other.
Changing Lanes in an Intersection
In most cases, it is illegal to change lanes in an intersection or 100 feet before it. If anybody does that, it’s a ticketable offense. As you can probably imagine, getting a traffic ticket before you even have your driver license is almost guaranteed to make you fail your road test.
Letting Your Nerves Get the Better of You
Everybody gets nervous, some people more than others, and that’s okay! Nervousness and anxiety are nothing to be ashamed of. But you’ve got this. You’ve studied, you’ve practiced, and you’re capable. So try to beat back the nerves with positive affirmations. This confidence boost will help you keep a clear head and do the best that you can—even if you have to “fake it ‘till you make it.”
Forgetting To Use Your Turn Signal
Just like changing lanes in an intersection, it is illegal to make a turn without using your turn signal. In order to maintain compliance with local traffic laws, you should always use your turn signal 100 feet before merging lanes, turning, pulling into a parking spot, etc. If you can’t use your signal 100 feet before, make sure to use it as close as possible to 100 feet before.
Not Being Aware of Changes to the Speed Limit
Always keep your eyes on the road. Looking at the sides of the road is just as important as looking directly ahead at the middle of the road. When driving, it’s important to not get tunnel vision. If you find yourself staring only at the road ahead, you could miss dangerous hazards (such as wildlife) coming at you from the road’s shoulder.
The same goes for noticing speed limit signs. If you’re going the speed limit, 45 miles per hour, and the speed limit changes to 70 but you remain at 45, you’re going to lose points.
