Before you back up, make sure you…?

1. Reverse immediately the path is clear in all your mirrors
2. Walk around the back of your vehicle to check that your path is clear, and then backup
3. Perform a 360° vision check ✓
4. Indicate and back up

Answer: C. Perform a 360° vision check

Perform a 360-degree vision check before you back up.

Why this is the answer

The handbook says that before backing up you should do a full 360-degree vision check. That means looking all around the vehicle with shoulder checks and mirror checks, then turning your body to look out the rear window as you reverse. It also says to check around the car before getting in and to keep checking while moving. This full check matters because children, pets, pedestrians, cyclists and people in wheelchairs can be easy to miss when you are backing out.

Why the other answers are wrong

• A. Reverse immediately the path is clear in all your mirrors — Mirrors alone do not give you the full all-around view the handbook requires; you also need shoulder checks and to turn and look out the rear window.
• B. Walk around the back of your vehicle to check that your path is clear, and then backup — Walking around the back is an extra step the handbook mentions if you have been stopped for some time, not the general check required before every backup.
• D. Indicate and back up — Indicating does not replace looking all around the vehicle; you still need the 360-degree vision check before moving backward.

Remember it

Think full circle, not just mirrors: check every side before the car moves backward.