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Before changing lanes you should make a signal, look at the rear-view and side-view mirrors and: Before changing lanes you should make a signal, look at the rear-view and side-view mirrors and:

  • A. Have a quick look over your shoulders to watch out for oncoming vehicles

  • B. sound your horn

  • C. turn on the headlight

  •  
    The correct answer is A
     
    Before changing lanes be sure to signal your direction, look at the rear and side view mirror, then take a half second look at your blind spot by turning your head quickly to look out for oncoming vehicles. Once clear, change lanes.
     
 
 
 

Blind spots

 

Our field of vision is almost 180 degrees but with very little details on the edges of our eyes. We could swivel each eye without turning our head at around 90 degrees which could give us a horizontal field of view that could reach about 270 degrees, but this still gives us very limited vision on the edges. That’s why it’s very important to look over our shoulder behind us and turn our head when driving.

 

Matching your speed

It is advisable to match the speed of the lane you are moving into when changing lanes. If the right-hand lane is moving slower then you’ll have to slow down in your lane first before moving on to the right lane, and if it is moving faster then you should increase your speed before going into the right-hand lane.

Once you’ve made your maneuver then you might have halved the following distance and you therefore need to drop back to maintain a safe following distance. Also, be watchful of traffic braking ahead of you as you move as this might leave the vehicle following you no room to go if you brake abruptly or have cut in too close to it.

This is especially important when you cut in on front of a heavy vehicle that takes longer to stop, hence needs more stopping distance.

 

Must you change lanes?

 

You might think you are advancing ahead of traffic, but at a certain density of traffic changing lanes actually slows traffic down because vehicles behind would have to brake to accomodate just to accomodate your maneuver, therefore slowing everyone else behind them as well. It will affect your travel time if drivers ahead of you are doing the same. So don’t change lanes if it isn’t necessary to.