Shoulder Check when changing lanes?

[alphadog]

K13 WJD said:

I do 5000 miles on motorways some months. in a van. which is great, but you can't always have that last check. which is why i indicate early, and move across lanes slowly and smoothly.

in a car, i always check blind spots

I used to drive an Astravan for my job - a lot on motorways nationwide and managed to check the blind spot by leaning forward whilst still looking ahead and peering through the side window by a quick look left or right. Caused intrigue with any passengers - especially when I started driving a car again and I was still in the habit of doing this! Now I do the shoulder check - either way it's a belt and braces double check before I commit to the manoevre.

Edited by alphadog on Monday 27th August 19:03

[WhoseGeneration]

I seem to remember a post recently from someone who had been criticised by an Observer for excessive shoulder checks. Based upon the theory that constant observation of traffic around should render them unnecessary.
I don't agree.
Shoulder checks rule, offside and nearside, as applicable, as my wife once thanked me for, after I had reinforced to her their importance.
She is an IAM member.

[Hooli]

i was taught lifesavers (although they had a different name) when i did my PSV training as well as my bike test. i tend to do them in heavy traffic or if im not SURE what is around me. ie if faster traffic is behind i'll double check the mirrors, if its just one car miles behind i wont as i feel i check the mirrors enough to know if something is possibly there.
so yeah err, if i think something might be there i check.

[saxmund]

I remember my driving instructor always suggested looking over your shoulder at 70mph was not a great idea, as too much can happen in front of you very quickly at that speed. He also said that if your mirrors are correctly adjusted you should be able to see everything that isn't directly beside you, and the blind spot is a moving phenomenon so if you check your mirrors more than once you will become aware of things moving in and out of the blind spot.

I suppose I have always followed his advice and do shoulder checks of no more than 90 degrees to check what is alongside. I've never felt the need to do them when pulling into the left hand lane; the only time I might do an over-the-shoulder check is when joining motorways and dual carriageways to avoid people like the bastard who decided to accelerate while pulling over from the 3rd lane to the first on the M4 last weekend and occupy the same point on the 1st lane as I had indicated my intent to occupy (and started pulling into). I can only assume he doesn't use motorways very often as he seemed to have no idea what an incoming junction was or what might happen when you encounter one.

[CommanderJameson]

Ever since, early on, I didn't see (in my mirrors) a small car in my blind spot (brown trouser moment for me and them), I've always done a shoulder check, whether moving to the left or the right.

[HiAsAKite]

Always when changing lane to the right on motorways/duals- but mines a left hooker so using just mirrors there's a gaping blindspot big enough to fit a transit van in....


unless I'm 100% sure about whats on the left I tend to shoulder when moving left too...

[f13ldy]

I always perform an over the shoulder look before changing lanes, it is very handy for spotting motorbikers who are travelling at pace.

However, a few of my recent cars have had the blind spot addition to the wing mirrors. These are very handy, but for some reason I don't 100% trust them and still carry out the over shoulder look.

[tigger1]

Nearly always do it when changing lanes, yes - exception is when I KNOW there's nothing catching me as I've been watching the mirrors closely (long stretch on a quiet motorway, say).

[deviant]

f13ldy said:

I always perform an over the shoulder look before changing lanes, it is very handy for spotting motorbikers who are travelling at pace.

However, a few of my recent cars have had the blind spot addition to the wing mirrors. These are very handy, but for some reason I don't 100% trust them and still carry out the over shoulder look.

Yep my car came with the blind sport thingoes stuck to the mirrors when I got it. I dont trust them either!

I ALWAYS do a quick shoulder check when I am changing lanes, pulling away from the kerb etc.
Over here in Aus you can overtake on the left or the right so there tends to constantly be a situation where someone is just cruising alongside you and not actually going past or going for a heroic ovetake on the left.
Combine that with absolutely apalling driving standards and you really need to know what is all around you. People here dont like to give way where lanes merge and even after the lines have ended will still try and get past so you always need to do a shoulder check then aswell.

[saxmund]

I draw a distinction between a shoulder check and an over-the-shoulder check.

Shoulder check = quick flick of the head to the right (or left) to see if there is anything alongside you. This takes microseconds to do and can be done without interrupting your view along the road for a significant period of time. I do these most of the time, other than when I've been on a motorway for a while and I am quite sure about what is behind and has been moving past.

Over-the-shoulder check means looking back more than 90 degrees to check what is in the "blind spot" position at about 5 o'clock. This I rarely do because it takes much longer to do and interrupts your forward view for a lot longer. At motoway speeds this does not seem sensible. In heavy traffic at slower speeds, and when joining motoways, it can be sensible. In any case you should know who is in this position as you will be constantly watching the traffic behind you & coming past you in your rear view and door mirrors. With careful mirror adjustment, I am of the view that the rear view and wing mirrors can cover all passing vehicles that are not directly alongside (say bonnet level wth the rear doors) although I'm willing to be corrected on that.

[coombsie66]

deviant said:

f13ldy said:

I always perform an over the shoulder look before changing lanes, it is very handy for spotting motorbikers who are travelling at pace.

However, a few of my recent cars have had the blind spot addition to the wing mirrors. These are very handy, but for some reason I don't 100% trust them and still carry out the over shoulder look.

Yep my car came with the blind sport thingoes stuck to the mirrors when I got it. I dont trust them either!

I ALWAYS do a quick shoulder check when I am changing lanes, pulling away from the kerb etc.
Over here in Aus you can overtake on the left or the right so there tends to constantly be a situation where someone is just cruising alongside you and not actually going past or going for a heroic ovetake on the left.
Combine that with absolutely apalling driving standards and you really need to know what is all around you. People here dont like to give way where lanes merge and even after the lines have ended will still try and get past so you always need to do a shoulder check then aswell.

Yeah, commuting through Sydney without accident is a testiment to shoulder checks in itself!
The road networks dont exactly help driving standards though with non prewarning lane merges and set-ups where the number of lanes in each direction change morning to afternoon to aid flow.

It confused one elderly Asian woman who got confused and drove on the wrong side of the road (M2 to parramatta for those who care!) for about 500 metres before coming head to head with traffic (my mrs was driving the car face to face with hers) and then loosing the plot, swerving side on into a bus. The guy in the car next to my girlfriends also swerved straight into the car beside him, whereas my girlfriend came away completely unscathed by just coming to a quick stop in her lane. And she was the one in the same lane as the opposing car!

I guess the motto is being aware of where cars are around you at all times, if you need to shoulder check to be sure then do it (i check even if im not the one manouvering; if someone is undertaking or changing lanes beside me etc), if you dont because its quiet or your mirrors are good then ok. Just be confident that you know what car is where at all times!

[nicedude1976]

You would be crazy not to shoulder-check in most if not all cars. Mind you indicators can save your a..e too, so use them people.