What is the primary purpose of checking your mirrors while driving?

The primary purpose of checking your mirrors while driving is to be aware of surrounding traffic. This practice is essential for ensuring safety on the road. By regularly checking your mirrors, you can monitor the positions and movements of other vehicles around you. This awareness helps in making informed decisions about lane changes, merging, and maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles. It contributes to overall situational awareness, allowing you to anticipate potential hazards and react accordingly.

While checking speed, fuel efficiency, and engine health are important aspects of vehicle operation, they do not encompass the critical aspect of maintaining awareness of your environment, which is vital for safe driving. Being vigilant about surrounding traffic is particularly crucial for commercial drivers, as they often navigate more complex driving situations and need to make quick adjustments based on the actions of others on the road.