"Lifesaver" in a car

[Leptons]

Yesterday I spent a total of 4 hours being driven on the motorway by my sister in law.
Now I can see the point of this when riding a motorcycle. They do have small mirrors after all.
But having spent every lane change being violently jerked left and right as she tugged at the wheel to look behind I am re-naming it the life ender. The most ridiculous thing I can think of, when travelling at 70mph would be to turn your head as far as it will go in the opposite direction. I'm not sure where this has come from tbh. Is it what they teach you in 'pass pluss' or whatever it's called these days.

[Leptons]

Edit: having to do this in 2 posts because of fking 417 error

Personally I have driven thousands and thousands of motorway miles and have never needed to look behind myself. Of course quite a lot of those miles have been in vans where it's not possible anyway.
I find you can eliminate mirror blind spots by simply moving your head forwards or backwards a few inches.

[Bungleaio]

Do you not look over your shoulder before moving out for an overtake?

[Superhoop]

Leptons said:

I find you can eliminate mirror blind spots by simply moving your head forwards or backwards a few inches.

Or if you're driving a car you can just turn your head and perform a life saver?!?

I don't see the problem. I've used lifesavers since passing my bike test

[Benbay001]

Leptons said:

Yesterday I spent a total of 4 hours being driven on the motorway by my sister in law.
Now I can see the point of this when riding a motorcycle. They do have small mirrors after all.
But having spent every lane change being violently jerked left and right as she tugged at the wheel to look behind I am re-naming it the life ender. The most ridiculous thing I can think of, when travelling at 70mph would be to turn your head as far as it will go in the opposite direction. I'm not sure where this has come from tbh. Is it what they teach you in 'pass pluss' or whatever it's called these days.

I check before changing lane every time
With one exception, and thats

Bungleaio said:

an overtake?

I dont see the point when you are looking to overtake, anyone else overtaking you is going to be moving faster than you anyway, so i just dont see the point.

Shoulder check on

• DC and Mway lane change
• Merging onto a DC or Mway
• Leaving a roundabout or straight lining a roundabout.

[MrAndyW]

Sounds like your sister in law is doing a life ender.
Like most driving observations it only works when done properly.
I have ALWAYS done lifesaver on a motorbike and I also do it in the car. Probably out of habit as much as anything.
It's not as pronounced in the car and certainly don't lose any control.
Classic case probably of having been told what to do but no proper instruction or supervision.

[Benbay001]

I also shoulder check when im a pedestrian and am looking to perform and unexpected direction change.
Lol

[Mave]

Benbay001 said:

I also shoulder check when im a pedestrian and am looking to perform and unexpected direction change.
Lol

Ha ha, me too! I tend to walk quite quickly, I'm always checking my shoulders before changing lanes on the pavement ready for the overtake....

[Mave]

Leptons said:

Yesterday I spent a total of 4 hours being driven on the motorway by my sister in law.
Now I can see the point of this when riding a motorcycle. They do have small mirrors after all.
But having spent every lane change being violently jerked left and right as she tugged at the wheel to look behind I am re-naming it the life ender. The most ridiculous thing I can think of, when travelling at 70mph would be to turn your head as far as it will go in the opposite direction. I'm not sure where this has come from tbh. Is it what they teach you in 'pass pluss' or whatever it's called these days.

I think the problem you're describing isn't the "lifesaver" itself, it's the inability of your SIL to control her hands separately to her neck.

[slipstream 1985]

Mave said:

Benbay001 said:

I also shoulder check when im a pedestrian and am looking to perform and unexpected direction change.
Lol

Ha ha, me too! I tend to walk quite quickly, I'm always checking my shoulders before changing lanes on the pavement ready for the overtake....

pah i slipstream my victim before looking behind me and making my overtake

[Blakewater]

I have a quick glance over my shoulder when changing lanes on the motorway. I don't move about in my seat and have a good long look around so I don't end up moving the car around doing it, but I find cars can easily be unseen in the mirrors when they are around the B pillar but can be seen with a life saver check. Quite often when I'm moving into a turning right lane a motorcyclist is coming up past me as well. Over the shoulder checks have saved me from accidents on many occasions, including on the motorway.

[P I Staker]

I look over my shoulder before changing lane, I don't swerve about.

[havoc]

Mave said:

Leptons said:

Yesterday I spent a total of 4 hours being driven on the motorway by my sister in law.
Now I can see the point of this when riding a motorcycle. They do have small mirrors after all.
But having spent every lane change being violently jerked left and right as she tugged at the wheel to look behind I am re-naming it the life ender. The most ridiculous thing I can think of, when travelling at 70mph would be to turn your head as far as it will go in the opposite direction. I'm not sure where this has come from tbh. Is it what they teach you in 'pass pluss' or whatever it's called these days.

I think the problem you're describing isn't the "lifesaver" itself, it's the inability of your SIL to control her hands separately to her neck.

I always glance over my shoulder before changing lanes, regardless of visibility in the car...it's good practice regardless of vehicle. And funnily enough the steering wheel doesn't move until I want it to...

[John D.]

Benbay001 said:

I dont see the point when you are looking to overtake, anyone else overtaking you is going to be moving faster than you anyway, so i just dont see the point.

So just because they are going faster it is not possible they will be alongside you when you move out to overtake? Not sure I follow your logic. Worth trying to maintain a '360' awareness of everything going on around you on the road in my book.

To the OP - Its not necessary to jerk the wheel left and right to perform a life saver. Your sister is doing it wrong

[NPI]

I always used to fit Paddy Hopkirk blind spot mirrors to my rep-mobiles. They made motorway lane changing effortless as you could be confident there was nothing sitting on your rear quarter.

They didn't last long and became hard to get hold of. Wonder if they're still available?

[Baryonyx]

If you can't do a blind spot check over your shoulder without keeping the car going in a straight line you should hand in your licence and start getting the bus. I do them all the time, moreso than ever when I'm thinking of motorbikes, the most likely candidates for entering your blind spot without you seeing them doing so.

[Blue Oval84]

Always check over my shoulder although I never move the steering wheel when doing it, it's the only way to be totally sure you haven't lost something in the blind spot...

[BonzoG]

Good practice. Essential in anything with a big blind spot/poor mirrors.

Your SIL needs an adjustable steering wheel or longer arms. She also doesn't need to do an owl impression and try to look through the rear quarter glass - a glance to the side/rear will do!

[vit4]

Always do it (as others have said, even on the pavement ). It shouldn't jerk the car...

[Mastodon2]

I always do it in a car, and on a bike. In a car, you don't have to crank your head all the round like you do on a bike sometimes, but I do look over my shoulder and at times, far enough over to see out a rear door window. The mirrors on a car show you a lot more than a bike's mirrors, but you never know what is there until you look, instead of relying on a mirror.