What should you do when changing lanes?

When changing lanes, it's essential to follow several important steps to ensure safety for yourself and others on the road. Signaling your intent is crucial because it informs other drivers of your planned maneuver, allowing them to react appropriately. This communication helps prevent accidents by ensuring that other vehicles are aware of your movements.

Checking your mirrors is equally important as it provides an overview of the traffic conditions around you. It allows you to see vehicles in adjacent lanes and assess their speed and distance, which is vital for making informed decisions while changing lanes. Additionally, checking your blind spot is necessary because mirrors cannot capture every vehicle in your vicinity, especially those positioned directly beside or behind you. This step protects you from collisions with vehicles that may not be visible in your mirrors.

Avoiding lane changes in an intersection contributes to safety as intersections are already complex and crowded areas of the road. Making a lane change in that context can lead to confusion and increase the risk of accidents.

Therefore, the correct answer encompasses all these vital actions: signaling your intent, checking your mirrors, slowing down, and ensuring your blind spots are clear. Each component plays a significant role in executing a safe lane change.