What should you do when changing lanes?

When changing lanes, it is essential to check your mirrors and blind spots. This practice ensures that you are aware of your surroundings and any vehicles that may be in the lane you intend to move into. Checking your mirrors provides a clear view of traffic behind and to the sides, while also looking over your shoulder helps to identify vehicles that may be in your blind spots—areas that are not visible in your mirrors.

This comprehensive check enhances safety by minimizing the risk of collisions, as it allows you to make informed decisions about when it is safe to change lanes. Additionally, signaling your intention to change lanes is also crucial, as it communicates to other drivers what you plan to do, further enhancing safety on the road. However, relying solely on signaling or only looking over your shoulder can be insufficient as it does not provide a complete picture of the road conditions. Similarly, driving faster to change lanes can lead to dangerous situations, increasing the risk of accidents. Therefore, the correct approach involves the combination of checking mirrors, blind spots, and signaling properly.