Before backing up, a driver should
- look all around (360 degrees) and then over his shoulder in the direction he is moving ✓
- look behind him twice before backing up, then rely on his mirrors
- scan 180 degrees
- look in his rear view mirror
Answer: A. look all around (360 degrees) and then over his shoulder in the direction he is moving
Before backing up, a driver should look all around the vehicle in a full 360-degree vision check, then turn and look over the shoulder in the direction of travel while reversing.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says that before you back up you must do a 360-degree vision check, using both shoulder checks and mirror checks, and then turn your body to look out the rear window as you back up. Looking in only one place leaves part of the space around the vehicle unchecked, and the handbook warns that children, pets, pedestrians, cyclists and people in wheelchairs are easy to miss when backing up. A brief glance behind followed by mirrors alone does not match that full-circle check.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. look behind him twice before backing up, then rely on his mirrors — Looking behind twice and then relying on the mirrors skips the all-around check the handbook asks for before reversing, and mirrors alone leave blind areas unseen.
- C. scan 180 degrees — A 180-degree scan covers only part of the space around the vehicle, while the handbook calls for a full 360-degree vision check before backing up.
- D. look in his rear view mirror — Checking only the rear view mirror is far short of the all-around shoulder and mirror check the handbook requires, and it leaves the sides of the vehicle unchecked.
Remember it
Before you reverse, walk your eyes all the way around the car once, then finish by turning your body to look out the back window as you move.