Before changing lanes on an Oregon road, what should you do?
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A.
Signal, check mirrors, then glance over your shoulder. Correct
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B.
Increase your speed, begin moving over, then signal once you are in the new lane.
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C.
Check your side and rearview mirrors; properly adjusted mirrors make a shoulder glance unnecessary.
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D.
Signal, check your mirrors, then glance over your left shoulder no matter which direction you are moving.
The answer is "Signal, check mirrors, then glance over your shoulder."
Before changing lanes, use your turn signal, check your side and rearview mirrors for traffic approaching you from behind, and then glance over your shoulder in the direction you are moving (left shoulder if moving left, right shoulder if moving right). The shoulder glance covers the blind spot, the area around your vehicle you cannot see from the driver's seat even with the use of your mirrors.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Increase your speed, begin moving over, then signal once you are in the new lane.
Signaling comes first, not last. The manual tells you to use your turn signal before you change lanes so other drivers know your plan; moving over before signaling defeats the signal's purpose. Misreading: Misorders the procedure: lifts the speed-up step from the Passing section ('Turn on your signal, increase your speed') and pushes the signal to the end, when the manual lists signaling as the first step before a lane change.
C. Check your side and rearview mirrors; properly adjusted mirrors make a shoulder glance unnecessary.
The manual defines the blind spot as the area around your vehicle you cannot see from the driver's seat even with the use of your mirrors. The shoulder glance is required no matter how well your mirrors are adjusted. Misreading: Treats well-adjusted mirrors as sufficient coverage, missing that the manual defines the blind spot as the area you cannot see even with the use of your mirrors, which is why the shoulder glance is a required step.
D. Signal, check your mirrors, then glance over your left shoulder no matter which direction you are moving.
The shoulder glance matches the direction of the move: left shoulder if you are moving left, right shoulder if you are moving right. Always glancing left leaves the right-side blind spot unchecked on a right lane change. Misreading: Collapses the manual's two-direction rule (left shoulder if moving left, right shoulder if moving right) into a single always-left glance, leaving the blind spot on the right unchecked.
This question tests your knowledge of Lane Changes & Merging in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Changing Lanes," p.30..
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