How often should you check your mirrors while driving?

Checking your mirrors every few minutes and when making maneuvers is essential for maintaining awareness of your surroundings while driving. Regularly checking mirrors helps you monitor traffic conditions, identify any vehicles in your blind spots, and stay informed about other road users. This practice is particularly important before changing lanes, turning, and during other critical driving actions where spatial awareness is key. It ensures that you're making safe decisions based on the current situation around your vehicle.

Infrequent mirror checks, such as only at the start of your trip or solely when changing lanes, could leave you unaware of emerging hazards or other vehicles that might affect your driving. Additionally, only checking mirrors when hearing sirens is not sufficient for safe driving, as it does not promote active engagement with the ongoing traffic environment. Regular mirror checks are an integral component of defensive driving and help reduce the likelihood of accidents.