Use of Mirrors
Properly adjusted mirrors are an invaluable asset to the driver of any vehicle. They enable you to see what is happening to your immediate rear and on either side of you to an extent without looking away from your direction of travel for more than a fraction of a second
If you incorporate the use of the MSPSL routine when approaching any type of hazard whether it be a junction, speed sign, parked cars, traffic lights, lane changing, whatever then you should be using your mirrors, in conjunction with the following procedure:
M= Mirrors
S = Signal
P = Position
S = Speed
L = Look
The centre mirror is checked to see what is happening behind us. Distance and speed.
The right mirror is checked to see if anyone is trying to overtake us. In slow moving traffic this could just as easily be cyclists as anyone else.
The left mirror is used to check on the road position or, if we are going slowly, whether there are any cyclists on the near side.
During your driving test Massive amounts of mirror checks are not necessary, overdoing the obvious is not a good idea. You are expected to do the relevant ones for the circumstances that you are presented with on the road. If you are constantly doing mirror checks it could be said that you are not spending enough time watching the road ahead!
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