How often should you check your mirrors while driving a commercial vehicle?

Checking your mirrors every 5-8 seconds while driving a commercial vehicle is essential for maintaining safety on the road. This frequent monitoring allows you to remain aware of your surroundings, including the positions of other vehicles, pedestrians, and any potential hazards. By doing so, you can make timely decisions to adjust your speed, change lanes, or react to any unexpected situations.

Regular mirror checks are particularly crucial in commercial driving due to the larger size and weight of these vehicles, which can create significant blind spots. The more often you check your mirrors, the better your situational awareness becomes, enhancing your ability to prevent accidents and ensuring the safety of both yourself and others on the road.

Infrequent checks, such as only when changing lanes or at intersections, would not provide adequate awareness of the ongoing traffic conditions, which can lead to risky situations. Such habits do not align with best practices for defensive driving, especially for larger vehicles that require more time and space to maneuver safely.