Originally Posted by
ItsJustMe
…I use my mirrors a lot when driving.
If there's someone coming up behind me, even fairly far away, I try to estimate when they'll be up to me and I slightly adjust my speed if necessary to be able to not be in their way when they reach me. I also want to know who is behind me because (as every driver is SUPPOSED to) I always have at the back of my head a map of where the cars around me are so that if there's an emergency I know where I can bail out to.
If I slam on the brakes can I swerve left or should I swerve right? Depends on whether there's a car there or nearly there.
Originally Posted by
kickstart
Well said,
Professional drivers are taught to check their mirrors every 4 to 6 seconds to be aware of their environment. part of "get the big picture", and "leave yourself an out".
Well said too,
kickstart. I’m an avid mirror advocate, and I wear
both left and right. Your quote spotlights the essential difference between the continuous monitoring of rearward upcoming traffic facilitated by a rearview mirror vs the occasional “over the shoulder check.”
I emphasize that need for monitoring in Jim’s Law of the Road:
”No matter how well-paved or lightly traveled the Road, a vehicle is likely to pass you on the left as you encounter an obstacle on the right.”