Are you making these common mistakes while driving?

According to the experts more than 50 per cent of people fail their initial driving test due to simple mistakes that can be avoided.

CRM Driving Instructor Chris Maxworthy has been teaching people to drive in Tamworth for 20 years.

He says there are two particular mistakes that always seem to catch people out.

"Head checks. In the last 20 years, head checks have come in there probably the biggest thing people can fail on," he said.

"Another big one is [putting on] your blinkers [to indicate] out of roundabouts."

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These two safety precautions, Mr Maxworthy said, were introduced to improve safety for motorbike and pushbike riders on the road.

"There was a lot of people who were in accidents, for motorcycle riders or pushbike riders, who drivers have come into that left lane without checking and completely cleared them out," he said.

Some other common mistakes include:

In NSW, only people 16 years or older can apply for a learner's permit, and they must hold that permit for around 12 months and complete 120 hours of driver training before taking the test for their red P-plate.

"People want their licence for the convenience of it all to have that licence. Especially in regional area's it is just to far to walk and there is not a lot of buses in regional areas," Mr Maxworthy said.

"So, the sooner you get your licence the better."

And just a few sage words of advice for people taking their first test or even driving home tonight, remember to take it slow and be considerate of other people on the roads.

"Take it easy. Don't take it for granted and just take your time," Mr Maxworthy said.

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