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How to Check Your Blind Spots When Driving in the UK
Checking your blind spots is an essential driving skill that helps prevent collisions when moving off, changing lanes, overtaking or reversing. Even with correctly adjusted mirrors, certain areas around your vehicle remain hidden from view, making direct observations necessary.
According to the UK Highway Code, drivers must check their mirrors and look around to identify road users who may not be visible before moving off. Failing to perform these checks can create serious risks, particularly for cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians.
Whether you’re learning to drive or preparing for your practical test, understanding how to check blind spots correctly is an important part of developing safe driving habits.
Key Takeaways
- Blind spots are areas around your vehicle that cannot be seen clearly through mirrors.
- Check your mirrors and blind spots before moving off, changing lanes or performing certain manoeuvres.
- Use a quick shoulder check rather than turning your entire body away from the road.
- Pay particular attention to cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians.
- Failing to check blind spots when necessary can result in driving faults or a serious fault during your driving test.
Master Blind Spot Checks With Driving Lessons
What Are Blind Spots When Driving?
Blind spots are areas surrounding your vehicle that are not fully visible through the interior rear-view mirror or side mirrors. Their size and position depend on the vehicle’s design, mirror adjustments and driving position.
Most cars have blind spots towards the rear on both sides, particularly beyond the areas covered by the side mirrors. Additional areas of restricted visibility may occur around the vehicle’s windscreen pillars.
These hidden areas can contain motorcycles, cyclists, pedestrians or other vehicles, making direct observations particularly important.
Understanding blind spots is closely connected to maintaining correct road positioning and lane discipline, especially when driving through busy streets and multi-lane roads.
How to Check Your Blind Spots Correctly
Checking blind spots requires a combination of mirror observations and quick shoulder checks. The objective is to identify hazards without losing awareness of the road ahead.
Follow these steps when a blind spot check is necessary:
- Check your interior mirror: Identify traffic approaching from behind.
- Check the relevant side mirror: Look for vehicles, cyclists or motorcycles alongside your car.
- Look over your shoulder: Briefly turn your head towards the area your mirrors cannot cover.
- Assess the available space: Confirm that your intended path is clear.
- Complete the manoeuvre safely: Signal when appropriate and move smoothly without forcing another road user to change speed or direction.
Blind spot checks should be brief and purposeful. Avoid turning your head for too long, as this reduces your awareness of developing hazards ahead.
When Should You Check Your Blind Spots?
Blind spot checks are particularly important when your vehicle is about to move into a space that may contain another road user.
Before Moving Off From the Kerb
Before pulling away from the roadside, check your mirrors and look around to ensure the road is clear.
In the UK, drivers usually move off towards the right from a normal parking position on the left. Therefore, the right blind spot is especially important because cyclists, motorcycles or vehicles may be approaching from behind.
However, you should also assess the left side for pedestrians, cyclists and other nearby hazards.
According to Highway Code Rule 159, drivers should check their mirrors, look around for blind spots and make a final observation before moving off.
Learners can practise these observations during driving lessons in Manchester City Centre, where moving off safely is particularly important on busy residential and urban roads.
Before Changing Lanes
When changing lanes, checking mirrors alone may not reveal vehicles travelling immediately alongside your car.
For example, a motorcyclist may be positioned just outside the visible area of your right mirror while you prepare to move into the next lane.
Check your mirrors, assess the speed of surrounding traffic and take a brief sideways glance into the relevant blind spot when necessary.
Only change lanes when there is sufficient space, and avoid making sudden steering movements.
Before Overtaking Another Vehicle
Overtaking requires careful assessment of traffic ahead and behind. A vehicle approaching from behind may already be overtaking you, even if it was not visible during your previous mirror check.
Before moving out, check your mirrors and the relevant blind spot, confirm that the road ahead is clear and ensure you have sufficient space to complete the manoeuvre.
Highway Code Rule 163 specifically recommends a quick sideways glance into the blind spot area when necessary before overtaking.
When Turning at Junctions
Junctions create additional risks because cyclists and pedestrians may be travelling alongside your vehicle or approaching from directions that are difficult to see.
Before turning left, pay particular attention to cyclists travelling on your left. You should give way to cyclists going straight ahead when you are turning across their path.
Check mirrors and make appropriate observations without neglecting traffic, pedestrians or road signs ahead.
The same awareness is important at unmarked crossroads, where drivers must assess approaching traffic carefully before proceeding.
How to Check Blind Spots When Reversing
Reversing requires more extensive observations because mirrors do not provide a complete view of the space behind your vehicle.
Before reversing, look around the entire vehicle to identify pedestrians, children, cyclists or obstacles.
Check through the rear window where possible, use your mirrors and continue observing throughout the manoeuvre.
If your vehicle has reversing cameras or parking sensors, use them as additional aids rather than relying on them exclusively.
When reversing around a corner or into a parking space, stop if your view becomes restricted or another road user approaches.
These manoeuvres are commonly practised during regular driving courses, helping learners develop better awareness of the vehicle’s surroundings.
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Which Blind Spot Should You Check When Moving Off?
The blind spot you need to check depends on where your vehicle is positioned and the direction you intend to move.
When moving away from the left-hand kerb, the right blind spot usually requires particular attention because you are entering the traffic lane.
If you have parked on the right-hand side of the road, your observations must account for vehicles approaching from both directions and the area into which you intend to move.
Always perform a final observation immediately before pulling away. Traffic conditions can change quickly, even if the road appeared clear a few seconds earlier.
How to Adjust Your Mirrors to Reduce Blind Spots
Correct mirror positioning improves visibility but does not eliminate every blind spot.
Your interior rear-view mirror should provide a clear view through the rear window without requiring you to change your normal driving position.
Adjust each side mirror so that you can see the road behind and a small reference portion of your own vehicle where appropriate.
Avoid positioning the mirrors too far inward, as this unnecessarily increases the areas you cannot see.
Remember that mirrors provide different perspectives. A vehicle may disappear from one mirror before becoming visible through the side window, making a shoulder check necessary during certain manoeuvres.
Blind Spot Checks During Your UK Driving Test
During your practical driving test, the examiner assesses whether you make effective observations before moving off and during manoeuvres.
Blind spot checks are particularly important when pulling away from the roadside, changing lanes and moving off after an emergency stop.
Common mistakes include:
- Moving off without checking the relevant blind spot.
- Looking over the wrong shoulder.
- Checking blind spots too early without making a final observation.
- Relying entirely on mirrors.
- Turning your head excessively and losing awareness of the road ahead.
- Moving into the path of another vehicle despite making observations.
The DVSA identifies inadequate blind spot checks when moving off as a common reason for driving test failure. The seriousness of a fault depends on the circumstances and the risk created.
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Learners preparing for their test can improve observation routines through an intensive driving course in Manchester, where these skills can be practised alongside practical test manoeuvres.
Are Blind Spot Checks Required on Roundabouts?
Blind spot awareness is important on roundabouts, particularly when changing lanes or preparing to exit.
Before changing position, check your mirrors and assess nearby vehicles, motorcycles and cyclists. Make a brief blind spot check when necessary and safe.
However, do not turn your head excessively while negotiating a roundabout because you must maintain awareness of the road ahead.
Correct lane positioning, appropriate signalling and early observations help reduce the need for sudden movements.
Understanding the different types of roundabouts can also help learners recognise how lane layouts affect observations and vehicle positioning.
How to Improve Blind Spot Awareness While Driving
Developing an effective observation routine requires regular practice until checking mirrors and blind spots becomes a natural part of driving.
Start by practising in quiet residential areas where you can concentrate on checking your surroundings before moving off.
As your confidence improves, practise on busier roads involving lane changes, parked vehicles and approaching cyclists.
Focus on making observations at the correct time rather than simply performing head movements. The purpose of every check is to identify potential hazards and make safer decisions.
Learners who need additional preparation can consider driving crash courses in Manchester to practise manoeuvres, mirror routines and hazard awareness.
Conclusion
Knowing how to check your blind spots when driving is essential for protecting yourself and other road users. Although mirrors provide valuable information, they cannot reveal every vehicle, cyclist or pedestrian around your car.
Effective blind spot checks involve using your mirrors, making brief shoulder observations when necessary and confirming that the road is clear before completing a manoeuvre.
With regular practice and professional guidance from Suja Driving School, learners can develop safer observation habits and improve their confidence before taking the UK practical driving test.
FAQs About Checking Blind Spots When Driving
How do you check your blind spot while driving?
Check your mirrors first, then briefly turn your head towards the relevant side to look into the area your mirrors cannot cover. Return your attention to the road ahead and proceed only when it is safe.
Which shoulder should you look over when moving off?
When moving away from the left-hand kerb in the UK, check over your right shoulder to observe approaching traffic in the blind spot. Also make appropriate observations around the rest of the vehicle.
Do you need to check blind spots every time you turn?
Not every turn requires a separate shoulder check. However, you must make effective observations and check any relevant blind spots where cyclists, pedestrians or other vehicles could be hidden.
Can you fail your driving test for not checking blind spots?
Yes. Failing to check blind spots when necessary can result in a driving fault or a serious fault, depending on whether your actions create danger or affect other road users.
Should you check mirrors or blind spots first?
Generally, check your mirrors first to assess surrounding traffic, then make a relevant blind spot check when required. Perform a final observation before moving off.
Do blind spot mirrors eliminate the need for shoulder checks?
No. Additional mirrors and electronic blind spot monitoring systems can improve awareness, but they do not replace direct observations when necessary.
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