Drivers should check their mirrors approximately every:
Answers
10 seconds.
15 seconds.
30 seconds.
60 seconds.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: 10 seconds.
Checking mirrors approximately every 10 seconds is a fundamental safety practice for drivers to maintain situational awareness on the road. Mirrors provide vital information about the traffic around the vehicle, including vehicles approaching from behind, changing lanes, or merging. Here’s why frequent mirror checks, at intervals of roughly 10 seconds, are crucial:
1. Enhances Awareness of Surroundings
By checking mirrors every 10 seconds, drivers stay aware of what is happening behind and beside their vehicle. This includes noticing vehicles in adjacent lanes, identifying fast-approaching cars, or observing pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists. Without regular mirror checks, a driver may fail to anticipate potential hazards or sudden changes in traffic flow.
2. Facilitates Safe Lane Changes and Turns
Frequent mirror checks ensure that drivers are informed about surrounding traffic before making a lane change, turn, or maneuver. Relying only on last-minute glances increases the risk of missing nearby vehicles, particularly in blind spots.
3. Helps Anticipate Emergencies
Regular mirror checks allow drivers to monitor aggressive drivers, emergency vehicles, or sudden braking in traffic behind them. For example, noticing a car approaching too quickly in the rearview mirror gives the driver time to adjust their speed, change lanes, or take defensive action to avoid a collision.
4. Reduces Blind Spot Risks
While mirrors do not entirely eliminate blind spots, frequent checks reduce the chances of another vehicle “sneaking up” unnoticed. Drivers can supplement mirror checks with quick shoulder glances to ensure clear lanes.
5. Improves Overall Safety
Maintaining a habit of checking mirrors every 10 seconds contributes to defensive driving. It keeps drivers engaged and alert, reducing the likelihood of surprise situations that can lead to accidents.
Neglecting mirror checks, or doing so too infrequently (e.g., every 30 or 60 seconds), creates gaps in a driver’s awareness, which can result in missed opportunities to react to changing road conditions.