To avoid collisions with vehicles in your blind spots, you should:
- Quickly turn your head to see if your blind spot is clear before changing lanes. ✓
- Adjust your rearview mirrors every few minutes.
- Honk your horn right before turning or changing lanes.
- None of the above.
Answer: A. Quickly turn your head to see if your blind spot is clear before changing lanes.
Quickly turning your head to confirm your blind spot is clear before changing lanes is the right move.
Why this is the answer
The Texas handbook says drivers should look for motorcycles by using their mirrors and checking blind areas before moving into or out of a traffic lane and at intersections. It notes that motorcycles can be hidden in a blind spot or missed in a quick glance because they are smaller. A quick head turn adds a direct look at the area mirrors may not show, so you can avoid moving into a space another vehicle already occupies.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Adjust your rearview mirrors every few minutes. — Adjusting your rearview mirrors every few minutes does not give you a direct check of the blind spot at the moment you change lanes, while the handbook calls for a visual check before moving into or out of a lane.
- C. Honk your horn right before turning or changing lanes. — Honking before turning or changing lanes does not replace looking into the blind spot, and the handbook directs you to make a visual check before moving into or out of a lane.
- D. None of the above. — Because the handbook does instruct drivers to check mirrors and blind spots before moving into or out of a lane, the none-of-the-above choice does not fit.
Remember it
Mirrors show most of the scene, but a quick head turn covers the corner they miss.