Awareness

Awareness - Being aware of what is going on around you is more than just checking your mirrors and looking ahead down the road.

Awareness - Awareness demands that you need to be taking effective observations.  If you have just completed an effective set of mirror checks for example you will know whether or not there are any cars behind you.

Awareness - Occasionally after completing a full set of mirror checks I tell someone to look straight ahead and tell me what is behind them. It is a very simple instructors trick. If the pupil has taken effective observation then they will know the answer reasonably well.

Awareness - Being aware of your surroundings is essential to safe driving. If you do not take effective observations then you will not be aware that the motorcycle coming up behind you is about to overtake. Essential information if you are asked to turn right.

Awareness - If you are not aware that you have passed an urban clearway sign how would you know that you cannot park there. Signs are important and not just for now! If you have completed six turns into different roads since you last saw a thirty miles per hour sign and seen no speed signs since what is the speed limit now? The road seems nice and wide so could it be a forty miles per hour limit ? Not a chance. It is still a thirty limit because the last speed sign still applies until you come across one that tells you different. If you only pay cursory attention though it is easy to forget - Awareness