DriversEd.com and Cars.com have recently put together a list of the top 10 mistakes made by inexperienced drivers.  The list might be useful if you are a new driver, or if you find yourself sitting next to a new driver as their teacher.  The list also might be helpful to review with the young drivers in your family to help them to understand what some of the common risks are when they hit the road.  The list is as follows:

Being distracted behind the wheel, which contributes to 80 percent of collisions involving new drivers, such as talking on cell phones, text-messaging, listening to CDs and eating.

Not wearing seat belts. Roughly one in five teens admit to not buckling up. Many think they don’t need belts if they’re in the back seat. Wrong.

Taking risks like ignoring signals or school zone signs, or changing lanes without checking blind spots.

Speeding, too often on residential roads that teens think are safe because they haven’t had any close calls there.

Overcrowding. Teens sometimes cram five or six friends into a car, and this can lead to driving aggressively and fooling around.

Drinking.

Tailgating.

Driving while drowsy. This affects an unlikely group, such as straight-A students or those with a full plate of extracurricular activities. Overachievers have a lot of pressure. If they’re playing varsity sports and also preparing for an AP exam, and if they’ve been going since 7 a.m. and now it’s midnight and they have to get home, they don’t realize they may be too tired to drive.

Choosing the wrong car. Some new drivers opt for a cool-looking sports car rather than a car that’s really a safer choice.

Not being able to handle emergencies, such as how to drive out of a skid or apply brakes properly.

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