Your Mirrors May Hold The Key To Predicting The Future

by
  • Blogs By Author

  • Blogs By Tag

I've always been a huge proponent of watching your mirrors at all times. I think when it comes to safety, watching your mirrors should be one of your very top priorities - just a smudge under the importance of watching out your windshield. If you know what is going on around you at all times you'll almost always see this kind of stuff coming (about the one minute mark):

A 4-Wheeler Almost Hit Me!

While I was waiting for pedestrians to get across the sidewalk a car drove around me to make the right hand turn in front of me and almost caused a collision.

Know Your Surroundings

You want keep glancing in your mirrors and noting the speed that everyone around you is running. Knowing the speeds of all vehicles on all sides of you should give you a picture in your mind of what's going to be happening in the next few seconds. Who is going to switch lanes? Who is going to slow down or speed up? Who's getting on or off the ramps? Will someone be in the lane next to me or will it be clear? Is there a shoulder or (Heaven forbid) a field or a median I can use as an escape if something goes wrong in front of me?

Envisioning the speeds of all vehicles around you makes it pretty easy to predict what most people around you will do in the next 5-10 seconds. That helps you plan your "outs" or your "escape route" in case something drastic happens around you.

And remember, bad things don't just happen in front of you. I've had plenty of vehicles go sideways and start spinning alongside me over the years and a couple of times I swerved over enough to avoid contact. If I hadn't been watching my mirrors I would have been involved in a wreck that was happening 50 feet behind the cab that I had nothing to do with at all.

Who Would Have Guessed?

The situation is the video is the perfect example of how glancing in your left hand mirror during the process of a right hand turn can help you avoid a wreck. Now who would've thought you should be watching the opposite mirror in a turn? Who would have thought someone was about to make a crazy move like that?

Well, if you saw him coming up alongside you that almost certainly would have thrown a red flag in your mind. In the process of watching your mirrors a minute or two earlier you may have noticed that he was driving aggressively and looking to pass people. Maybe he was tailgating you for a little while and you could see he was annoyed. So when you stopped to make a turn and you saw him suddenly come up quickly alongside you, you would have thought, "Oh geez. Here comes this guy. He's probably fed up with me and he's going to do something dumb." Then sure enough, right on cue like you're a fortune teller, he makes some crazy move like that and you sit back safely and watch, shrug your shoulders (cuz it happens all the time out there), and calmly continue on safely with your trip.

Just another hour in another day for truckers.

Don't Get Complacent

Remember, things happen in a flash out there. When you're driving an 80,000 pound building on wheels there is no room for mistakes. There may be no second chances. Watching those mirrors will help you predict what others will do and help you determine where your safe zones will be in an emergency. If you're not checking your mirrors regularly you're far more likely to get in a wreck.

Related Articles:

Golden Rules Of Trucking Safety: Speed and Following Distance

This article gives truck drivers and those in the trucking industry an informative overview of safe driving tips. It explains why speed and following distance are the most critical factors, and why accidents often occur in the rain. The article also addresses the importance of patience on the road.

Things That Irritate Truck Drivers

This article gives tips to 4-wheelers on how to stay in good graces with truck drivers and stay safe on the road. Tips include look ahead when merging, don't pass on the right, don't hit the brakes after passing, and don't block truckers in.

Trucking Safety: What Exactly Is The Golden Rule?

Discover the one golden rule of safety in trucking that applies across the board- don't hit anything. Learn why it is important to make all decisions with safety as top priority and why taking chances and playing the odds won't end well.

Rookie Drivers: Time Management Tips And Mileage Goals

This article provides time management tips and mileage goals for truck drivers. It explains how to avoid traffic delays, find easy parking, and rest before exhaustion to turn more miles and make more money.

Keepin' Your Cool: Managing Road Rage

Getting aggravated with other drivers on the highway is commonplace for many drivers, even for truck drivers. Learn the risks of getting emotional on the highway and how to remain unaffected by the stress. Understand the importance of staying calm and how to practice it.

Why Join Trucking Truth?

We have an awesome set of tools that will help you understand the trucking industry and prepare for a great start to your trucking career. Not only that, but everything we offer here at TruckingTruth is 100% free - no strings attached! Sign up now and get instant access to our member's section:
High Road Training Program Logo
  • The High Road Training Program
  • The High Road Article Series
  • The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
  • Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted

Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth

Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:

Apply For Paid CDL Training