Effective use of mirrors and understanding your blind spots are fundamental to safe driving. Learn how to see everything around you.
Your driving test, and indeed every journey, relies heavily on your ability to observe your surroundings. Mirrors are your primary tool for this, providing crucial information about traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians around your vehicle. Failing to make proper observations is a common reason for driving test faults.
Prevents collisions by giving you crucial information about other road users.
Allows you to check before signalling, ensuring your actions are understood.
Proper observations are a fundamental part of the practical driving test criteria.
Before every journey, ensure your mirrors are correctly adjusted from your comfortable driving position.
Even with perfectly adjusted mirrors, there are areas around your vehicle that you cannot see. These are your blind spots.
Danger: Failing to check your blind spot is a common cause of collisions and a major driving test fault.
Mirrors-Signal-Manoeuvre (MSM) is a fundamental routine you should apply every time you plan to change your speed or direction.
Extension: For complex situations, consider MSPSL (Mirrors, Signal, Position, Speed, Look) to include adjusting your position and speed, and a final look for hazards.
Mirror checks should be frequent and routine, not just before a manoeuvre.
Ensure your mirrors are adjusted for your comfortable driving position to maximise your field of vision.
Mirrors don't show everything. Always do a head check before any lateral movement.
Use the MSM routine to signal your intentions, benefiting both you and other road users.