What must you always do before making a lane change in a commercial vehicle?

Before making a lane change in a commercial vehicle, it is crucial to check your mirrors and blind spots. This step ensures that you have a clear understanding of your surrounding environment, including traffic that may not be visible in your mirrors. Commercial vehicles have larger blind spots compared to passenger vehicles, and ignoring these areas can lead to dangerous situations, including collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians.

While signaling your intentions is also an important part of the lane-change process, it is not sufficient on its own. You must first assess your surroundings to ensure that it is safe to merge into the next lane. The act of accelerating quickly is not advisable at this stage, as maintaining control and safety should be your priority. Additionally, while being aware of pedestrians is essential for overall road safety, it is equally important to check for vehicles that may pose a threat during your lane change. Thus, the primary focus before changing lanes in a commercial vehicle is to perform a thorough check of mirrors and blind spots.