When is it essential to check your mirrors?

Checking your mirrors throughout your drive, especially when changing lanes, is crucial for maintaining awareness of your surroundings. It allows you to monitor the behavior of other vehicles and pedestrians around you, ensuring that you can make safe decisions while driving. By regularly scanning your mirrors, you can anticipate potential hazards, such as quickly approaching vehicles or changes in traffic patterns, and respond accordingly. This practice is vital for defensive driving, as it helps to prevent accidents and promotes overall road safety.

While checking mirrors when parked, at traffic lights, or before starting your car can also be important, the most critical and continuous need for mirror checks arises during active driving, particularly when executing maneuvers like lane changes or turns.