Many teenagers cannot wait to have their own car. They regard owning one to be a rite of passage and more importantly, a symbol of freedom. Freedom to go when and where they want, and free from the restraints of adults. But teens seldom consider the consequences of how they drive. One mistake is all it takes to end up in a horrible car crash, or worse.
Here are five crucial mistakes teen drivers make.
1. Impulsiveness
Teens are impulsive by nature. Although they do not realise it, this impulsiveness extends to their driving behaviour. It makes them less likely to pause and weigh situations they encounter on the road before making a decision.
For example, when teen drivers come to an intersection, they rarely consider the situation. More often than not, they just go for it, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Unfortunately, parents and driving instructors do not pick on this impulsivity because teens drive differently when an adult is in the car.
However, everything changes – and becomes worse – when fellow teens are in the car. The actually push the driver to make impulsive, risky, and aggressive driving decisions. When parents notice this behaviour, it is only right to take the teen for a refresher course. Luckily, companies like Top Tests offer free practice driving theory tests for teen drivers so they refresh their skills. Visit toptests.co.uk to learn more about their services.
2. Being Emotional
Besides being moody for no reason, teenagers are also affected by issues going on in their lives. After going through a breakup or failing a school test, a teen driver is likely to be absent minded while driving, or overly aggressive.
3. Speeding
Teens speed for two reasons. First, despite the obvious danger, they love the thrill of rushing through traffic. Second, they are inexperienced. For this reason, they are yet to develop the capacity to properly judge their speed and braking distance.
In addition, they lack sharp driving reflexes, which only come with practice. By combining speed and inexperience, teenage drivers put not only themselves in danger, but also every other road user.
4. Tailgating
Following the car in front of you too closely is a dangerous habit. If the car stops or slows down suddenly, you have no time to react. Chances are that you will rear-end it. And if you are really lucky, you will come out of the experience without any injuries.
But to teens, tailgating is a particular favourite when on the road. They assume that they can slow down in time, which is impossible at the high speeds they drive. After all, the faster you drive the more braking distance you need.
5. Being Distracted
Should anything happen to a teenager’s phone, his or her life is over – or so they believe. Thus, they never leave their beloved electronic gadgets behind, even when they go out on a drive. Unfortunately, few can resist the temptation to use these devices when driving.
They do not realise that it takes about 4.6 seconds to read a text. When driving at 55 miles an hour, one travels the distance of a football field during this time. Clearly, taking your eyes off the road for this long is a recipe for disaster.
The first mistake teen drivers make is being impulsive, especially if they have friends in the car to push them on. When in emotional turmoil, they also drive aggressively or pay less attention to the road. In addition, they love tailgating and driving at high speeds; a dangerous combination considering that you need more braking distance the faster you drive. Finally, they are prone to using their cell phones when on the wheel.
Nisha Pandey
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