how many times do you check your mirrors?

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Originally Posted By: RichardS
Well, after reading this, I feel like a [censored] driver.

If I'm on the interstate, and going a constant speed, I just watch what's ahead of me, and ahead on my right for the onramps.

The same, basically, for driving in town on roads with no lights. Unless the conditions require me to change speed, I just monitor in front of me.

If I'm in stop-and-go city traffic,, I check my rear anytime I'm coming to a stop - watching that the driver behind me is stopping, and just bracing for the chance of an impact. Maybe a full surrounding check every 20-30 seconds just to monitor what's behind me in case of a change up the road, I feel like I can reasonably know there are X cars behind me within a few hundred feet with checks of that interval.

If I need to change lanes, I'll scan all 3 + a look behind me over my shoulder, all with my necessary blinker on.

Hopefully I'm not alone, otherwise all of you are significantly better drivers.



Around here, the cops like to drive in the left lane. It's somewhat of a game to watch, sometimes it takes several minutes for the guy in front to realize the cop is behind him and move over, other times people move over right away. I did see one flip his lights on once for someone who was totally oblivious to the cop behind him, but he shut it off after the guy moved over.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad

As per the Motorcycle Safety Course, you are instructed to also always shoulder check right and left when coming to a stop (to check for motorists about to hit you from behind) which should give you the time to quickly move partly into the intersection in an adjoining lane. FYI on the road test for an MC license here, failing to perform that check is an automatic fail.


I impressed that on my son; one day he was stopped in traffic in the right lane of a limited access highway. He saw a car closing on him very fast so he pulled into the emergency lane beside the truck in front of him. The car behind him stopped just three feet away from the truck's rear bumper...
 
My car has mirrors?
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After driving 45 years for a living, checking my mirrors has become second nature. I don't even realize I do it but my wife has commented about how often I check them, and how I look multiple times before leaving a stop sign, traffic light etc. Double checking before accelerating through a green light or stop sign has prevented me from being T-Boned a few times over the years. Keep those eyes moving!
 
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