Vehicle accidents occur every day, and many of them are caused by drivers making minor mistakes.

To avoid damaging your vehicle or getting into an accident, here are five common driving mistakes to be aware of.

1. Driving Whilst Being Distracted

Driving whilst being distracted can cause a number of things to happen. If you’re sat on your phone or routing through the glove box for something whilst driving, your full attention is not on the road. When you are distracted, your risk of having an accident dramatically increases.

Driving without your full attention on the road is unsafe, and can lead to your vehicle getting damaged. For example, if you’re looking down at your phone, you might veer slightly off the road and scrape the pavement. This could damage your vehicle’s tires and wheel trims. Alloy Wheel Repair Services in Bolton can assess the damage to your wheels and make any necessary repairs to your vehicle.

Not only can you experience an accident that damages your car, but you could be putting your own life and other people’s lives at risk. A huge number of road-related deaths are caused by people driving whilst being distracted.

2. Failure to Indicate

Failing to indicate is a common mistake that a scary number of drivers make. Although it may seem minor, not indicating when you’re turning increases your risk of having an accident because you are not letting other drivers know that are intending to turn off the road

3. Running a Red Light

When you’re in a rush to get somewhere, it’s easy to start running red lights. Although it’s not against the law, you may have done this many times in the past, but you run the risk of having an accident every time you drive through a red light. When the lights turn amber or red, you should slow down and come to a complete stop.

4. Driving Whilst Tired

When you’ve had a poor night’s sleep, you can be left feeling sluggish. You are less able concentrate and your reaction times are slower. This is a particularly common in truck drivers who work long night shifts. Always make sure to have a good night’s sleep before a long drive to avoid falling asleep at the wheel, or having an accident due to slow reactions. If you’re in a long drive and start to feel yourself drifting off to sleep, pull over and take a nap!

5. Not Correctly Adjusting the Mirrors

Car mirrors are there for a reason. The side mirrors are designed so you can see other drivers behind you, and those in your blind spots. The rear-view mirror allows you to see behind your car. A huge mistake many drives make is not adjusting these mirrors correctly so that they can properly see into them. Being unable to correctly utilise your car mirrors could lead to an accident. Be sure to check that your mirrors are in the best places for you to have a clear view of what’s going on around your car before you start driving. When it comes to avoiding common driving mistakes, it’s good practice to regularly check your mirrors whilst driving too.