How often should you check your mirrors while driving?

Checking your mirrors frequently while driving is essential for maintaining awareness of your surroundings and ensuring safety on the road. This practice allows you to monitor the positions of other vehicles, anticipate potential hazards, and make informed decisions about lane changes, turns, and maneuvers.

By consistently checking mirrors, especially before changing lanes, you can detect vehicles that might be in your blind spots or approaching quickly from behind. It enhances your ability to react promptly to any sudden changes in traffic conditions, which is a critical aspect of defensive driving. This habit helps in avoiding accidents and ensures that you remain aware of other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.

While checking mirrors only when necessary, occasionally, or at predetermined intervals like every 10 minutes might seem convenient, these approaches can leave you vulnerable to unexpected situations that require quick adjustments and responses. Frequent checks integrate awareness into your driving routine, contributing to safer driving practices.