No need for ponytails, or dangly earrings, just move your head! I endlessly see this advice by Learners online, yet, I keep saying, no need for any of that if you actually just move your head when checking mirrors!
People get very over-excited about ensuring they do obvious enough observations in the test and yes, they are very important, but just routine habit building will ensure you do the correct level of observing. Here are some tips.
- When you get an instruction – say “M-S-M-M” to yourself. This stand for Mirrors-Signal-Mirrors-Manoeuvre. Honestly, from a marking point of view, it’s the first 2 words that are key. Just sit in a chair, call out a mock instruction like “Take the next left’, then literally practice the head movement and then signal movement. This builds muscle memory. The MSMM routine comes into play in the Test after approximately 90% of the instructions given by the tester.
- If going left or parking on left, then it’s middle mirror, left mirror and put on left signal.
- If going right, it’s middle mirror, right mirror, and put on right signal. Imagine you have blinkers on and practice how much you have to move your head to see the mirrors.
- The Tester is never staring right at you, they are simply keeping an side eye on what you are doing, so it’s really the side mirror checks you need to exaggerate
- The Blindspot Check – If you are doing lessons, you’ll know what this is but a couple of things. Remember, it’s the last place you look BEFORE you move the car out.. eg. Imagine you move out 1 foot from the kerb, without looking, and a cyclist was in your blindspot, you’d hit the cyclist, so look fully over your right shoulder before the car moves.
- Shoulder Check – This is essentially a blindspot check but this is for when you are moving on a road/slip lane and about to change lane. lt’s a 90 degree glance to right (chin to shoulder). A full look behind (ie. Blindspot check above) may be too much at high speed and cause you to swerve the wheel.
Brendan Tierney is a Brand Ambassador of KennCo Insurance. KennCo Insurance understands that getting car insurance for your first car can be challenging. That’s why they offer affordable and reliable young driver car insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland. #brandambassador
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