Look behind
What Does ‘Look Behind’ Assess?
Look behind assesses whether you can you keep an eye on what is happening all around you as you drive.
Looking behind should become second nature.
You should always be doing it.
Drivers must keep an eye on the traffic behind them and know what that traffic is doing. Look behind requires you to check in the mirrors and look over your shoulder so that you can interact safely with other traffic.
When is ‘Look Behind’ assessed?
Competent drivers look behind as part of their regular routine to avoid colliding with other vehicles travelling in the same direction. They do it when they:
- slow down;
- turn; or
- diverge (such as when they change lanes, merge or leave and return to the kerb).
Look behind is checked more frequently by the assessor when you are performing complex driving tasks. This helps the assessor find out whether you can use look behind without having to think about it consciously.
How is ‘Look Behind’ scored?
| YES |
NO |
| You do a head check immediately before you steer towards a section of road for which a car behind you might also be heading.
|
You do not do a head check in the right direction immediately before you steer towards a section of road for which a car behind you might also be heading.
You do your head check more than two seconds before the vehicle alters course. (You need to look within two seconds of moving because otherwise the situation may have changed by the time you are ready to go). |
| You look in the appropriate mirror just before starting to turn or diverge.
|
You do not look in the appropriate mirror just before starting to turn or diverge.
|
| You look in the appropriate mirror just before starting to brake.
|
You do not look in the appropriate mirror just before starting to brake.
|
Examples of ‘Look Behind’
The following examples of look behind are indicative of the aspects of your driving that assessor will be checking when assessing look behind. You should read these examples in conjunction with Drive Safe: A Handbook for Western Australian Drivers. In the following diagrams, you are driving the red car.
Doing head checks in the right direction
You should turn your head and check your blind spot whenever you are about to steer into a position that could be used by a vehicle behind you.
Assessment items