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I disagree, I was a driving instructor for five years in the mid/late sixties and wing mirrors, if fitted, were not part of the car test , it was the interior rear view mirror and observation to left and right by looking, you got it, over your shoulder .
As an older driver I still practice what I preached and disagree that "failure to accept the need to look over your shoulder is being perpetuated by older drivers".
It is older drivers that needed to do it as the mirrors of yesteryear were nothing compared to mirrors of today , infact few were convex and gave a very limited rear view.
@gooey .. I think you just don't get it..
I'm confident enough driving forward in the car or van that I don't feel the need to look over my shoulder. Of course I can glance left and right. But look back over my shoulder?? Why.. I know what's there. If you don't understand why I know what's there then we're gonna have to agree to disagree
I'm with you on that Larry, back in the day wing mounted wing mirrors were accessories, I fitted enough of them, and the final part of the fit was getting the customer to sit in his vehicle and adjusting the mirror to suit his view (the majority of those fitted were the conical (pseudo racing) mirror. But yes the interior mirror AND looking over your shoulders was the requirement. Today's drivers are obviously too reliant on the door mounted mirrors that it has been necessary for the DLA to heighten the action of looking over the shoulder as part of the test.
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I'M SORRY!i didn't mean to start World War 3!My sister in law is a competent driver.What conscerns us is that it appears unless we are wrong that anyone can contact the D.V.L.A and make what could be baseless claims about someones driving and they will act upon it.She has had contact with the police or anything that could have caused this action so we can only assume that it's been done out of malice.Yes of course there comes a time when we should realise that we are no longer safe to drive.My father who is 94 had a slight stroke 18 months ago and we as the family thought that would be the end of his driving.He was contacted by the stroke association who gave him details of a voluntary driving assessment.He went out with someone from the association for about an hour and they told him he was OK to carry on driving!!I am now 71 and have been driving since I was 18 and up until a couple of years ago also raced Historic Racing Cars for a hobby.I know that my reactions aren't as good as they were.It's perfectly understandable that they won't be as I get older.I wouldn't be bothered about taking a test or having my driving examined but hope that when I get that I am not up to scratch I will realise it and pack up!
But that is my point, glancing to your right or left is not and I repeat is not looking over your shoulder.
This is looking over your shoulder!
View attachment 93914
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Many, many years ago 1971. I had an accident when I was 22. a car in front was turning into a Garage forecourt in Lewes I went to go out and pass him so looked over the right shoulder, and he stopped just before going in. My front nearside wing hit his rear offside light shoving his car across the forecourt. As I wasn't looking where I was going, I got three point (my only ever) on my licence. To make thing worse it was directly outside the Sussex Chief Constable's house, so the police attended in 5 minutes.If you have a blind spot in the drivers (offside) mirror then I suggest you get it changed. I can understand Motorcyclists and Cyclists doing it but not in a vehicle.
A glance to the right will tell you if anyone is alongside you, but IMO to physically turn your head to look back over your right shoulder, is not only unnecessary but also dangerous. If the vehicle you are about to overtake, makes any unexpected manoeuvre, while you are busy looking over your shoulder, you are in trouble.
In any case you will have checked your mirrors long before indicating and starting your overtaking manoeuvre.
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I've been looking at this very problem and have a camera sitting under my nearside wing mirror. But I haven't been able to find one which isn't a wide-angle reversing camera, limiting the usefulness. What camera types are you using?
Nobody mentioned looking backwards, to the best of my knowledge that's a trick only an Owl can perform or a little girl in the Exorcist.
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Looking backwards over either shoulder is pretty useful when reversing. Or does everyone simply rely on their mirrors for that, too?
This is looking over your shoulder!
View attachment 93914
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Did you know that some Owls can turn their head through more than 360*. Mind boggling.
I'M SORRY!i didn't mean to start World War 3!My sister in law is a competent driver.What conscerns us is that it appears unless we are wrong that anyone can contact the D.V.L.A and make what could be baseless claims about someones driving and they will act upon it.She has had contact with the police or anything that could have caused this action so we can only assume that it's been done out of malice.Yes of course there comes a time when we should realise that we are no longer safe to drive.My father who is 94 had a slight stroke 18 months ago and we as the family thought that would be the end of his driving.He was contacted by the stroke association who gave him details of a voluntary driving assessment.He went out with someone from the association for about an hour and they told him he was OK to carry on driving!!I am now 71 and have been driving since I was 18 and up until a couple of years ago also raced Historic Racing Cars for a hobby.I know that my reactions aren't as good as they were.It's perfectly understandable that they won't be as I get older.I wouldn't be bothered about taking a test or having my driving examined but hope that when I get that I am not up to scratch I will realise it and pack up!
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It is probably the Police for some reason. maybe stopped for some reason and they have queried her competence.
If you are driving a car or van etc why would you look over your right shoulder when overtaking?
From the highway code:Sorry looking backward over your shoulder when driving forward in a car or van is just not a safe thing to do.. no matter how many people try and justify it.
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And if she were looking the other way she would be looking right at the blind spot.But that is my point, glancing to your right or left is not and I repeat is not looking over your shoulder.
This is looking over your shoulder!
View attachment 93914
I would also add that the highway code and tips to pass a driving test are a guide and have to cover the fact that a lot of drivers don't concentrate all around and/or prioritise hazards constantly and therefore possibly wouldn't know what was going on around them. . Or what sings they recently passed etc.
Present company excepted.
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