Checking the mirrors
How often do you check the mirrors while driving?
Let’s say on a ride or of five minutes?
10 times, 15 times or maybe even 20 times, because you
think you are a good driver?
Then, you are very far away. Hard to believe but you
should check 60 times in a minute. And the number is still
understated.
Why?
According to the traffic experts, looking into the mirrors
every 5 seconds is needed to be attentive in the flowing
traffic, all the time.
Additional to this behavior, you should check the mirrors, if you are
slowing down, changing the lane, before you are turning and after
every turning.
How?
Needless to say that checking the mirrors doesn’t mean watching them
for a long time, It is rather small short glances to see the traffic around
you, so that can still observe the traffic in front of you.
Why so often?
There are two reasons :
First one is, that the traffic around you is changing around you,
all the time.
Second one is our short-term memory. The short-term memory
stores information like its name for a short time.
You can check this out by asking the driver for the colour of the
car behind, while you are a passenger or a co-driver.
You will notice, that the driver will look immediately into the mirrors
to find out, though he had been watching.
We should check the mirrors very often to be prepared for any
situation. In dangerous situations you can react safely, either to
dodge into the next lane or smash into the brakes, just for example.
