How often should a driver check the rear view mirror of a car?

The recommended practice for checking the rearview mirror every 12 seconds is based on maintaining awareness of your surroundings and ensuring safe driving conditions. Regularly checking the rearview mirror helps drivers monitor the behavior of vehicles behind them, anticipate potential hazards, and make informed decisions regarding lane changes, merging, or braking.

By looking in the mirror at this interval, drivers can maintain a continuous sense of what's happening around them rather than just relying on peripheral vision or sporadic glances. This habit contributes to overall road safety and can aid in preventing accidents by increasing the driver's situational awareness.

Other suggested intervals, while they encourage mirror checking, may either be too frequent or not frequent enough to optimize safety on the road. The 12-second guideline strikes a balance that helps drivers stay informed without becoming overly distracted from the road ahead.