Mirrors are one of the most basic but most helpful safety features of any vehicle. Seat belts and airbags can help you survive a crash. Assisted braking can help you if you are about to crash. Yet your mirrors can help you avoid getting into dangerous situations in the first place.
Unlike the previously mentioned technologies, mirrors are not automatic. If you do not make the decision to use them, they cannot help you.
You need to scan your mirrors constantly
Many people think they only need to look in their mirror before they make a maneuver. They are wrong. You should scan your mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds to keep your picture of the road around you updated. Your primary focus will be through the windshield, but the quick mirror checks alert you to what might be about to happen from behind.
For example: If you check your rearview mirror, you might see a motorcycle in the distance. Before you know it, they are gone from your rearview mirror and are alongside you.
Every car has blind spots, with the worst at the back corner of your vehicle. If you go to maneuver at the moment the motorcycle is in your blind spot, a crash could occur, especially if the motorcyclist moves out to pass you.
If you catch the bike in your rearview mirror, you will know it is somewhere close to you, even if you cannot see quite where. If you did not, you do not have that forewarning.
Whether the other driver checked their mirrors is just one of the angles to consider when looking to determine blame in a crash. Getting legal help to do so will be crucial.