Instant Fail: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid on the Colorado Driving Test

You've passed your written test, logged your 50 hours of practice, and now you're ready for the final step: the Colorado behind-the-wheel driving test. Even the most practiced applicants can fall victim to simple, avoidable mistakes under the pressure of being evaluated.

An examiner is looking for a driver who is confident, in control, and above all, safe. Any action that demonstrates a lack of these qualities can lead to points off your score or even an immediate failure. By understanding the most common pitfalls, you can consciously practice to avoid them. Here are the top 10 mistakes to watch out for.

1. The Incomplete or "Rolling" Stop

This is one of the most common and critical errors. A "rolling stop," where your vehicle's wheels never fully cease their rotation at a stop sign or red light, will be an immediate red flag for any examiner.

• How to Avoid It: Bring your vehicle to a full and complete stop behind the white limit line or crosswalk. Feel the car settle. After the stop is complete, then you can inch forward if needed to see, but the initial stop must be total.

2. Failure to Scan and Observe

Driving safely is about much more than looking out the front windshield. The examiner is constantly watching your head and eye movements to see if you are aware of your surroundings.

• How to Avoid It: Make your movements obvious. Scan intersections by looking left, right, and then left again before proceeding. Before every lane change or merge, you must use your mirrors and physically turn your head to check your blind spot.

3. Poor Speed Control

This isn't just about speeding. Driving too fast for conditions, or driving too slowly and impeding traffic, are both major errors.

• How to Avoid It: Be aware of the posted speed limit at all times. In residential areas, it's typically 30 mph unless posted otherwise. On winding mountain roads, it's 20 mph. Adjust your speed for weather, traffic, and road conditions. Driving 10-15 mph under the limit for no reason is just as bad as speeding.

4. Improper Lane Changes

A sloppy or unsafe lane change shows a lack of control and awareness.

• How to Avoid It: Perfect the SMOG technique: Signal, check your Mirrors, look Over your shoulder (at your blind spot), and Go. Ensure you signal your intent well in advance and that you have a safe gap in traffic before you begin to move over smoothly.

5. Failure to Yield the Right-of-Way

This is a critical safety error and can result in an automatic failure. It means you forced another driver or a pedestrian to react to your action to avoid a collision.

• How to Avoid It: Be patient and defensive. Understand who has the right-of-way at four-way stops, uncontrolled intersections, and when making unprotected left turns. Always yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

6. Following Too Closely

Tailgating is an aggressive and unsafe habit that examiners will penalize heavily.

• How to Avoid It: Use the "three-second rule." When the car in front of you passes a fixed object (like a signpost or tree), start counting "one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand." You should not reach that object before you finish counting. Double this distance in bad weather.

7. Hitting a Curb or Cone

Whether you're turning, parking, or backing up, making contact with a curb or cone demonstrates a lack of vehicle control.

• How to Avoid It: Practice is the only solution. Learn the dimensions of your car. During turns, give yourself enough space without swinging too wide. When performing parking maneuvers, use your mirrors to gauge your distance and move slowly and deliberately.

8. Making Wide or Incorrect Turns

Your ability to execute a clean turn shows you are in command of your vehicle.

• How to Avoid It: For right turns, stay in the lane closest to the right-hand curb. For left turns, turn into the corresponding lane on the new street. Do not "cut the corner" by turning too early and crossing the centerline of the street you are entering.

9. Lack of Confidence and Excessive Hesitation

While examiners expect some nerves, being overly hesitant can be dangerous. Indecisiveness at an intersection can confuse other drivers and create a hazardous situation.

• How to Avoid It: The best cure for nerves is experience. The more you practice in different traffic situations, the more confident you will become. Get a good night's sleep and trust in the skills you have developed.

10. Not Knowing Your Vehicle's Controls

The test begins before you even start driving. The examiner will ask you to demonstrate the location and use of your vehicle's controls.

• How to Avoid It: Before your test, sit in the driver's seat and practice finding the controls for the headlights (high and low beams), windshield wipers, defroster, hazard lights, and horn without looking. Fumbling for these controls makes a poor first impression.

By being mindful of these common mistakes during your practice drives, you can build the safe habits needed to impress your examiner and pass your Colorado driving test on the first try.