A common beginner’s mistake on the road and how to avoid it
Driving on the road is a very different experience than driving inside the city. Speeds are higher, reaction times are reduced, and any errors are amplified. For beginner drivers, this often leads to a mix of nerves, tension, and hasty decisions that can end up in dangerous situations.
One of the most common mistakes – and also one of the riskiest – occurs during overtaking.
Why the road is so intimidating
When a novice driver enters a highway or highway, they are immediately confronted with something they are not used to:
speeds in excess of 100 km/h.
The speed limit exists for vehicles to maintain a reasonable difference from each other. The problem is that in practice this is almost never fulfilled:
- Some drivers drive well over the limit.
- Others go too slowly out of fear or lack of experience.
This difference creates an awkward situation: fast vehicles catching up with slower ones, forcing frequent overtaking.
For an inexperienced driver, that moment is one of the most stressful of all of road driving.
The rookie mistake that causes so many problems
The error appears when the novice driver:
- Try to overtake.
- See in the mirror that a faster vehicle is approaching from behind.
- He panics.
- It accelerates more than it can safely handle.
Instead of maintaining a clear and controlled maneuver, many novice drivers feel pressured by the oncoming car and react by increasing speed beyond their own capabilities.
That’s where the real problems begin:
- Loss of control
- Poor distance assessment
- Sudden braking
- Unsafe lane changes
All because they were carried away by the pressure of traffic.
The trick that avoids this mistake
The key is not to go faster, but to take control of the situation.
When you’re going to overtake:
1. Decide before you move
Don’t start the maneuver if you’re not sure you have enough space and time.
Check mirrors, distance, and speed of other cars.
2. Keep your speed in check
If a vehicle is coming faster from behind, don’t try to race.
That driver has already decided to go faster than you. You don’t have to imitate him.
3. Complete or cancel, but don’t hesitate
Either you move forward decisively, or you stay in your lane.
The dangerous thing is to be half-baked, accelerating and braking out of nerves.
4. Don’t speed beyond what you know how to handle
The goal is not to “get out of the problem quickly,” but to maintain control of the vehicle.
Why this error is so dangerous
On the road, the higher the speed, the less margin for error.
A small steering wheel, a car that brakes, an unexpected curve… and everything can get out of control.
When a driver accelerates out of fear and not out of decision, they stop driving and start reacting.
And reacting at high speed is a recipe for the accident.
True safe driving
Driving well on the road is not going faster than others.
It is:
- Keeping Your Lane
- Using Mirrors
- Evaluate distances
- Respect your own skill level
The driver who does not allow himself to be pressured is the one who really controls the situation.
You can also follow these recommendations in the following video from the Total Speed channel:
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