Using The Mirrors
Summary
That is all we are going to learn about when and how to use the mirrors for now - we'll be learning more and practising with the driving mirrors throughout your training - using your mirrors effectively is essential if you wish to become a safe and confident driver.
Moving Off
It is essential that we check our mirrors before moving off - imagine what would happen if we started moving to the normal driving position just as another vehicle was closely approaching or worse alongside in the blind spot!
We should be checking in the interior and offside exterior mirrors to check it is safe to move off and if the road is busy with traffic checking for a suitable gap to move into.
Remember though, the last thing we do before moving is to look over our right shoulder to check that the blind spot is clear.
Signalling
This driver is intending to turn left at the junction ahead. The driver must check in the interior mirror for following traffic - how close they are and how fast they are travelling may well affect how early we need to brake and how much braking to apply.
We're also checking the nearside exterior mirror to make sure there are no cyclists or other vehicles approaching on our inside - once we've made the checks and are sure it's safe then we'll be ready to signal our intentions to any other road users.
Changing Direction
In this case the driver is preparing to move to the correct position to make a turn to the right but he could easily have been changing lanes on a dual carriageway or adjusting the driving position to give extra room to pedestrians at the side of the road.
Again we need to look in the interior mirror to make sure we will not be causing a hazard to any following vehicles and we need to use the offside exterior mirror in case any other road users are alongside or fast approaching on our offside.
Overtaking
Whether we're overtaking a cyclist on a quiet urban road or passing a slower vehicle on a fast moving dual carriageway overtaking is a manoeuvre that can only be completed with extra care.
We need to be aware of the traffic conditions around us at all times when driving but never more so than when overtaking - we need to check the mirrors to assess following traffic to see if it is safe to attempt the overtake.
Slowing Down
Remember earlier when we looked at the routine that we'll be using throughout our driving lives -
Mirrors - Signal - Manoueuvre
Can you remember that a manoeuvre is any change of speed or direction? So whenever we intend to use the gas pedal to speed up or the brakes to slow down we need to check the mirrors to see if it is safe and see what effect our manoeuvre may have on any other road users.
Stopping
Stopping either for something like traffic lights or when parking at the roadside involves either a change of speed or direction or both.
Just as for any manoeuvre we need to check that it's safe to complete the manoeuvre and consider what effect it might have on any other road users.
Knowing what is happening behind and to the sides will help us plan to complete the manoeuvre safely and with due consideration for other road users.
When Approaching a Hazard
This is the one that many drivers tend to forget. If you're taking your driving lessons with me I will be getting you into the habit of completing your mirror checks on the approach to hazards so that you do it automatically.
We'll encounter lots of hazards everytime we drive - the list is endless, but if you can remember that a hazard is anything that might cause us to change speed or direction you'll soon get into the habit of checking your mirrors and then using the Mirrors, Signal, Manoeuvre routine to deal safely with it.
Before Opening the Car Door
If you're taking your driving lessons in Hull with me as your instructor I hope you remember that when we learnt about the cockpit drill we discussed the extra responsibilities regarding the safety of others when you become a driver.
During the cockpit drill we learnt it was necessary to make sure the doors were securely closed before moving off. It is just as important to make sure it is safe before we open the car doors. If a car was passing closely by it would certainly cause damage if it collided with an open door but it could be very dangerous if the passing driver saw the door open and swerved into another vehicles' path to avoid it.
Passing cyclists are particularly vulnerable to car doors opening unexpectedly, they are more difficult to see than cars or other vehicles and they are at greater risk of physical injury than car drivers.
Make sure that we check the mirrors carefully before opening the car doors.
The only way we can make sure there is nothing in the blind spots is to glance over our shoulder.
We need to use our mirrors and then double check by looking over your shoulder before moving off or changing lanes.
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Using the interior and exterior door mirrors enables you to see if a vehicle is overtaking, this may make you decide to slow down to let it pass or to hold back if you intend to move out or turn to the right.
Mirrors give an early warning of any following emergency vehicles which can be identified by their flashing blue lights.
The left hand (offside) exterior mirror will give a warning of any cyclists that may be coming up on the nearside of our vehicle whilst you are preparing or waiting to turn left.
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MSM stands for Mirrors - Signal - Manoeuvre, it is the most important routine in driving.
A manoeuvre is any intended change of speed or direction.
So before carrying out any manoeuvre check your mirrors making sure that you include your door mirror for the direction in which you intend to move, then when you are aware of the situation behind and it is safe to carry out the manoeuvre..........
Consider if any signal is necessary to warn of your intentions.......
Finally if it is still safe - carry out the manoeuvre.
The application of the MSM routine is a continuing one throughout your drive and adherence to it will ensure that you will always be making your decisions based on all of the facts.
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You should by now understand the need to check your mirrors in good time and to use them often, you should be checking your mirrors regularly during normal driving, about once every 10 seconds but we also need to check them well before
Moving off
Signalling
Changing direction
Overtaking
Slowing down
Stopping
When approaching a hazard
Before opening the car door
And keep in mind the need for a follow up a check in the interior mirror with a check in the door mirror to the side to which you intend to move.
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Mirrors are one of the keys to defensive driving. Always use them to keep up to date with what is happening behind and to the sides of your vehicle because it will often affect the decisions that you will make. For example - if there is a vehicle following closely behind you may need to give more warning that you intend to stop. It's also important to use the mirrors early enough to allow others time to react to any signal you give. You can also check your mirrors to see the reaction of other road users to the signal you have made.
It's important to remember that it's not enough just to look in the mirrors - you need to act safely and sensibly on what you see - you need to ask yourself:
How close is the following traffic?
How fast is it moving?
What is it doing?
IS IT SAFE TO MAKE THE MANOEUVRE?
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No matter how good your mirrors are or how well adjusted they are there will be areas that you will be unable to see into - these are known as blind spots - whenever you intend moving off or changing lanes you should always check in the mirrors and then double check with a look over your shoulder to make sure it is safe. There are other blind spots, some caused by the vehicle pillars and you must be aware that there could be danger in any area of the road that you cannot see.
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The interior mirror is made of flat glass - flat glass gives an accurate representation of how far away things are so it is relatively easy to judge the distance of following vehicles when they are viewed in the interior mirror.
The exterior mirrors are made from convex glass - convex glass is used to give us a wider viewing angle to assist us when looking to the rear. Following vehicles will appear smaller in the exterior mirrors and will appear to be further away than they really are.
With practice you will learn to accurately judge the distance of following vehicles in the exterior mirrors.
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Introduction
You will have already had an introduction in the use of the vehicle mirrors when you learnt the cockpit drill and were introduced to the controls - you should already have some experience of using the mirrors when you learnt about moving off and stopping.
The aim of this tutorial is to develop your knowledge of how we use the mirrors when driving.
Before we begin let's recap on what you already know - try to answer the following questions before clicking to confirm the answer:
Can you remember why things appear differently in the interior and exterior mirrors?
Do you know what "blind spots are"?
How can you make sure there is nothing in the blind spots?
Let's consider some more questions to see how much more you know about the use of mirrors:
Why do we need to use the mirrors?
What is the value of the exterior mirrors?
When and how often should we use the mirrors?
Now, can you describe the MSM routine to me?