Today's episode is taken from our new podcast, Driving Test Tips, which is based around the top 10 reasons that people fail their driving test. However, the content of the episodes, isn't just for learner drivers as we hope that it will help drivers who want to build their confidence, fill any gaps in their knowledge, or maybe have a light bulb moment while they're listening. So in this episode, we are talking about not using your mirrors correctly when you are changing direction. So Kev, tell us more about that one. So, this is about not using your mirrors effectively and before changing direction. So let's look at different reasons or different situations that this might be affecting you. So imagine you are coming up to a large busy roundabout and you are turning right. And, you've emerged onto the roundabout safely, but now you're going, two thirds of the way around and you want to come off. So you're gonna have to change lanes. So, how do you change lanes safely, it's about checking the middle and the left mirror. Or even checking that blind spot over your left shoulder to make sure that it is safe for you to change lanes. And, make sure that you are not interfering with any other road users there, make sure that, you know, it's safe to go into that next lane. There might be another situation where we are not using the mirrors correctly is where we are. Traveling and along a dual carriage way and we wanna overtake something. So, before we overtake, what we need to do is we need to make sure that we've checked middle and our right mirror. And the reason we check those two mirrors is one cause there's two different types of glass there. In the inside is the flat glass that gives you a true reflection behind you. In the side mirror or wing mirror. Is a convex So it makes things look smaller and further away Now I've noticed when I'm training people is this they only use one mirror It's normally the right hand one and they go yeah it's miles away And they go to pull out But because that mirror is convex what happens is that vehicle looks so far away. When in actual fact, it's closer than you think. And also what they might not have done is check that mirror at least twice. So they've checked to see it's there. But then they haven't checked again to see how fast he's traveling. So what happens is they pull out the car comes up behind them. Is closer than they think and has to slam their brakes on. Or they have to really slow down or change lane. They have to do something that they. Don't really want to do, and it's all because we haven't done those effective observations before we change lanes. And it could also be, when you are. Go back to a roundabouts again. You know, if you do try to change lanes on a roundabout without checking the mirrors, there could be something next to you. I remember we talked earlier about that blind spot. That blind spot is quite big and especially on moving roundabouts where the angles of the cars are quite awkward to see. Make sure that we are checking that blind spot to the left, because again, there could be a car motorbike there. And we are just basically gonna knock him over or go into the side of him. If we haven't checked those mirrors properly. Also people go at different speeds on roundabouts so the lane next to you may have been clear, but then if somebody's joined yeah. So if someone's joined and again, this happens quite a lot, roundabouts where we are in the right hand lane or the inside of the roundabout, and we are quite happy. We're going at speed that's good. And we're going round the roundabout, but someone. From the left junction. Wants to go ahead, which is the same exit as the one that we want, but they're staying on the outside. And because we are on the inside. They're in a rush. They're gonna come round and what happens is you now have two people trying to exit into the same exit. Yeah and not necessarily doing the same speed. No, exactly, and that's is where the problems occur. So this is where again, I say to people on roundabouts check early and check again and keep checking, because again, you need to know it safe, even if you're not doing anything wrong. There might be a car that's unexpectedly there and we don't wanna be involved in any of those situations. So keep checking those mirrors, check blind spots before exiting a roundabout. Mirrors is one of those topics that you hear people talk about all the time I failed because of my mirrors. And there isn't really an excuse for this one is there? No cuz it's, it's basically here. You. Yeah. and you need to be making sure you are checking the mirrors effectively. And we must use them. 'em fully as well not just do it because someone said we got check our mirrors. When you check in the mirrors, make sure you are getting that information from it. Do full and effective observation of those mirrors and make sure you are checking the mirrors that you need to check. We mentioned earlier about doing 'em pairs like inside. Outside. So that's the way I try and phrase it is. Inside out, which gives you a sort of like a little. Oh, right when I'm checking my mirrors, it's inside. It gives you something to do. You know, there's a, a little phrase there that you can use. I mean, some people have named their mirrors, which in numbers are great tactic because. They always check the left mirror because. It reminds him of someone. So, you know, whatever it does or whatever you do. Make sure that you are using mirrors effectively. But also make sure you are using it effectively at the correct time. As well. So if you're thinking about. Approaching a junction to turn left. The first thing we need to do. Is check our mirrors before we signal. Because we need to know that it's safe. And if we did have someone coming up the side of us and we put a signal on. We're probably gonna scare the life out of them. So check the mirrors first, make sure we know what's there, then put the signal on but also when you're changing directions, like changing lanes, we mentioned earlier, Or going around park cars make sure we know it's safe to do what we need to do. And again, mirrors in pairs You get that true reflection and that convex version. And another one, is speed. Before you accelerate you're in a 30 mile, an hour zone. You're going into a 50 mile an hour zone. What might the car behind you do? He might wanna overtake us. So if we start accelerating and he started to accelerate. And he's now overtaken us. We now get two cars racing down the road effectively. So, what we need to do is to make sure we check our mirrors, make sure there's no one overtaking. Overtaken. So we know it is safe to start accelerating. And it comes down to that all the time. Isn't it? How do you know it's safe? To do the next thing that you're gonna do. Another one with speed is, not going up, but coming down. So say you are in a 50 and you're coming into a 30. If we are too late with those. Observations those mirrors. And we break heavily. There might be a car behind us. And all of a sudden we slammed the brakes when he's not expecting it. Although it's his fault. If he goes into the back of you, we could have avoided that situation just by checking our mirrors early. And slowing down in time. So we don't effectively have him really close with us. We can control that car behind us. And again, it goes back to probably heard, but. Mirror signal, maneuver routine. And the mirrors always come before the signal. Know what's happening around you. Great. We hope you found that useful. If you did, don't forget to share it with others or leave us a review. You can find the other reasons that people fail their driving test in our spinoff podcast series Driving Test Tips, if you'd like to listen to them all in one place. Search driving test tips, wherever you listen to your podcasts or find the links in our show notes or on our website, www .confidentdrivers.co.uk/freetools And so until next time, Have a great day, whatever you are doing.