后车之鉴

lit. the cart in front overturns, a warning to the following cart (idiom); fig. draw lesson from the failure of one's predecessor; learn from past mistake

to learn a lesson from the mistakes of one's predecessor (idiom)

don't forget past events, they can guide you in future (idiom); benefit from past experience

lit. to follow in the tracks of an overturned cart (idiom); fig. to follow a path that led to failure in the past

the tracks of a cart that overturned; (fig.) a path that led to failure in the past

lit. to punish those before to prevent those after (idiom); to criticize former mistakes firmly to prevent them happening again