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Most common mistakes new drivers make in the UK 2024

most common mistakes new drivers make

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These are the most common mistakes made by new drivers in the UK

Are you a new driver or about to be, and want to avoid the most common mistakes new drivers make? Well, you’re in the right place, as we have all the juicy details on new driver mistakes in the UK. We’re here today not to ridicule, as we were all new drivers once, but to educate, and hopefully, help some more beginner drivers not make the same mistakes we see too often. 
 
Everybody makes mistakes on the road at some point in their life as a driver, and hopefully the consequences of which are as minor as can be, but some of the mistakes on this list can be really dangerous, especially if you’re being negligent.  Here are the most common mistakes to watch out for, in no particular order, of course. 
 
If you consider yourself a good driver and want to get into modifying your car, we have some hot tips on the best car mods for new drivers.

Using your phone while driving 

This is a huge mistake and one that can carry licence points and a hefty fine if you’re caught doing it by the authorities, and we don’t just mean blatantly texting and driving either. There is an increasing number of new drivers that play with their phones whilst driving whilst it is in a cradle, though technically not illegal, according to Gov.uk, it is still incredibly distracting. 
 
According to the AA Analysis of Home Office fixed penalty notices, the number of people caught using their mobile phones whilst driving hit 27,000 in 2022 – don’t let yourself be part of that statistic. 
 
Getting caught using a mobile device whilst driving carries 6 penalty points on your licence and a £200 fine. Especially bad news if you’re in your first 2 years of driving because 6 points result in a driving ban. Your licence gets upgraded to 12 points maximum once you have passed your 2 years. 
 
So put the phone down, that text isn’t worth 6 points, or £200, and especially not somebody’s life.  
 

Being overconfident 

Too much confidence? That can’t be a bad thing, right? Well, that may be true if you’re trying to chat up someone at a bar, but it can be a killer on the roads as a new driver. 

According to Brake, a UK charity, 1 in 5 new drivers crash within a year of passing their test, and 1,500 new drivers are killed on the road every year. These are shocking statistics and we’d bet that the majority of these incidents are caused in some way by overconfidence. 

Overconfidence is likely to strike on the routes you’re most familiar with, say the route to your parent’s house, or the route to work. These are the routes you know well so you pay less and less attention over time. All it takes is for another driver to do something unexpected, and that’s it. Always pay attention and do not overestimate your abilities, especially in changing weather conditions. 

It’s a balancing act, you can’t be overconfident, and you can’t be underconfident either. 

Being underconfident 

We’re not about to sit here and harp on you for not having enough confidence in yourself, you did pass your test after all, so you are, in fact, roadworthy. 
 
Driving can be a scary experience, but you need to have confidence in your actions on the road as a new driver, or you end up becoming a hazard to others. A common occurrence is a learner or new driver holding up impatient people, and the impatient people fly off the handle due to road rage and do something silly or dangerous. 
 
True, it’s not your fault they got mad, but as my mum always says to me “Don’t be the reason somebody else has to break” – my mum, sometime in 2022. Which is incredibly good advice if you think about it. 
 
If you’re still a little shaky on the roads, consider purchasing some P plates, these let other drivers know that you’re new and they tend to give you a little more leeway and be a little more forgiving toward you. 
 

Driving under the influence

We considered leaving the point out because we assumed nobody could be so stupid, but the statistics don’t lie. According to Quittance, the annual average of deaths due to drunk driving between 1979-2020 was 549. With the average number of yearly convictions in the same period hitting 41,737. 

If those shocking statistics wasn’t enough of a deterrent, you could face up to 6 months in prison, an unlimited fine and a driving ban of up to 1 year if caught drunk driving, or driving under the influence of drugs. 

Driving under the influence of any substance, legal or not can ruin lives, and should not be done under any circumstances. But of course, it’s not just “drink and drugs” that can affect your driving ability. Not getting enough sleep can have a huge effect on your reaction time and ability to think quickly. 

Not getting enough sleep

According again to Break, Police statistics show that fatigue contributes to about 4% of fatal road crashes and 2% of all collisions in Britain so make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night, and try to avoid taking an medications that affect alertness when tired. 

it’s best to avoid driving if you haven’t gotten any sleep in the past 24 hours, because that amount of time without sleep can result in a degradation of reaction time similar to a blood alcohol content of 0.1%. That’s not even the most shocking part, if your body decides to have a micro-sleep of about 4 or 5 seconds at motorway speeds, you can travel the length of a football field. Imagine all that distance unattended. Scary, right? 

As you can probably imagine, a whole manner of things can happen when you’re not paying attention, and sometimes they can happen a lot faster than 4 or 5 seconds. 

Speeding excessively

Almost done with the major doom and gloom, we swear. Speeding excessively is much more than doing 35mph in a 30, although you shouldn’t do that either, it’s more like 10 – 20mph over the limit. 

Speeding like that in a residential area carries a massive risk of a pedestrian stepping out in front of you, it doesn’t matter how good your driving is, sometimes you’re also relying on the vigilance of others. Something else to consider is that built-up areas often have tight bends that can throw you off if taken at speed. 

It’s also worth noting, that getting caught speeding carries, you guessed it, points and a fine. The minimum pemntaly for speeding is 3 points and a £100 fine. You can also get instantly banned if caught traveling at double the posted speed limit, or above 100mph. 

RSPA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, states that speeding or travelling too fast for the conditions accounted for 27% of fatal accidents in 2022. Which brings us to our next point. 

Speeding can be done when travelling below the speed limit, How you might ask. Well, it can’t be done in a legal capacity, but it can be done for the conditions you are travelling in. It’s a bad idea to do 60mph in heavy snow and on a sheet of black ice, even if you’re on an A-road. 

Carrying excitable passengers 

Excitable passengers are a distraction from the road, is what you should tell your nan next time she tries to put that “gingham style” song on whilst you’re driving. 

In all seriousness, anything that distracts you from the road carries risk, all it takes is for someone to pull out on you in the brief period that you were distracted by a passenger to be in a collision. In a way, it’s probably the same as driving with a little bit of alcohol in you. 

Whilst there’s no law that we know of about excitable passengers, It does state in the highway code in rule 148 that you shouldn’t argue with passengers, as it could cause a distraction. Having a back-and-forth with your excited grandma as she nay nay’s to gingham style definitely falls into that category. 

Roundabouts and lane discipline

Roundabouts can be one of the scariest things about driving for a new driver, and lord knows some people that have been driving for a number of years still struggle with them. This isn’t any kind of statistic or fact, but it seems like people are always twice as impatient on roundabouts. And messing up can result in a nasty collision if you’re not careful. 

The most common thing I see is people not being in the correct line for the exit they want to take. A good rule of thumb I learned is to use the left-most lane if you’re exiting at 12 o’clock or sooner, unless the left most lane is marked as left only (1st exit). The best thing to do is to look at the signs posted around the roundabout. And don’t forget, if you miss your exit, you can just go around again. Weeeeeeee.

Not adjusting your driving to suit the conditions 

We touched upon this a little when we discussed speeding. You need to adjust your driving style to match the conditions of the road or weather in which you are driving. 
 

For example, if you’re driving on a motorway and it suddenly starts raining heavily, you need to drop your speed a bit and increase the following distance of the car in front by about 2X. This is because statistically, stopping distance doubles in the wet, and they 10X when on ice, according to the AA.

Adjusting driving for conditions doesn’t always elude to the weather, road conditions are a big factor when considering your driving habits. Most British country roads have a 60mph limit, however, the narrow lanes and tall hedges make travelling at that speed dangerous. Similarly, if a road surface is damaged or muddy, it can severely impact grip and stopping distance. 

It’s better to be safe than sorry, we all like to have a bit of fun on country lanes, but its important to consider the risks and drive safely when required.  

Not keeping your car maintained 

Car maintenance is incredibly important, especially on older cars. Most vehicles consist of thousands of moving parts manufactured to very specific specifications and can fail catastrophically if those tolerances are knocked out of whack. Remember, a car’s job above all else is to keep you and any potential passengers safe from harm. So it’s best to make sure you don’t have any rusty holes in the car every so often. 
 
Taking your car to a mechanic for regular scheduled maintenance is the best way to prevent dangerous mechanical failure, there are even a few car maintenance tips for beginners we can teach you to help keep your car in tip-top shape. It’s much better to pay out a little for a mechanic to perform maintenance, or do it yourself every now and then than shelling out a lot for a new engine, structural word, or a new gearbox later down the line. 

Parking

bad parking isn’t particularly dangerous, but it can be a bit of a faff if you end up holding other road users hostage as you try for the 14th time to fit into a space 2x wider than your car. Parking is something you can get better at with practice, the best way to do this is to find an empty car park and try different manoeuvres to get more comfortable with them. 
 

Indicating too soon 

Indicators are essential for telling other drivers what your intentions are on the road, and some new drivers have been known to use them incorrectly soon after they start driving. “But I use my indicators” you may ask, you might, but do you use them too early? 
 
Using your indicators too soon can cause upset with the cars behind you, and can potentially cause a huge hazard. For instance: If you are approaching two left turns, one after another, and you are intending to take the second left, you should indicate after the first left. No matter how short the distance is between them. 
 
If you indicate for the second left before the first left, you could be mistaken for taking the first left instead. Anyone sat at that first left may assume it is safe to pull out, as you don’t look like yu are intending to continue forwards. This is where the danger comes from. Be mindful of when you indicate. 

In conclusion

These were some of the mistakes that new drivers make, we’ve outlined the most common ones to make you aware of them, as a new driver. It’s easy to make a mistake, and statistics show you probably will at some point, but educating yourself on these specific driving mistakes and making a point not to fall victim to them, gives you the best chance of avoiding a major incident. 

With that being said, there are some fantastic accessories for new drivers out there that help to keep you safe, consider stocking up if you feel they will help you on your way to becoming a safer, better driver. 

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