I've been watching the new series of 'Barely Legal Drivers' on BBC3 on Monday evenings and like most experienced drivers I've been cringing at some of the antics of these 'street legal but barely able' drivers. As an instructor though, one of the things that has jumped out at me is how little these novice drivers are using their side mirrors and I thought I would share my little tip as to how I get my learners to remember to use them.
Bob and Tom are the names I give to my side mirrors. Bob is the near side one and stands for 'Bloke On Bike' or of course anything that may be down the near side of the car when pulling over or lane changing. Tom is the offside mirror which stands for 'Teenager On Moped'. I find that by giving them names and introducing them early that my learners pick up there use quite quickly and if they forget (which they do from time to time) a quick "check Bob" prompt gets them looking in the right direction. When all said and done, observation is king!
Bob and Tom are the names I give to my side mirrors. Bob is the near side one and stands for 'Bloke On Bike' or of course anything that may be down the near side of the car when pulling over or lane changing. Tom is the offside mirror which stands for 'Teenager On Moped'. I find that by giving them names and introducing them early that my learners pick up there use quite quickly and if they forget (which they do from time to time) a quick "check Bob" prompt gets them looking in the right direction. When all said and done, observation is king!