What is the correct way to check your blind spots before a lane change?
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A.
Turn only your head to look over your shoulder Correct
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B.
Turn your body and head together for a clearer view
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C.
Rely on the side and rearview mirrors alone
The answer is "Turn only your head to look over your shoulder"
To check blind spots, turn only your head and look over your shoulder out the side window; turning the whole upper body drags the steering wheel along and drifts the vehicle out of its lane. Drivers reaching for B pull the wheel with their torso, overcorrecting for what feels like a narrow mirror view.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Turn your body and head together for a clearer view
Turning your body pulls the steering wheel with you and drifts the vehicle out of its lane. This answer overcompensates for a limited mirror view by making the whole check a body movement.
C. Rely on the side and rearview mirrors alone
Mirrors leave the exact blind spots the shoulder check is meant to cover. This answer overtrusts the mirrors and skips the shoulder look that catches what mirrors miss.
This question tests your knowledge of Lane Changes & Merging in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Blind Spots," p.58..
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