What should you do when leaving a parking space?

When leaving a parking space, it is essential to ensure that you have a complete view of your surroundings to safely navigate your vehicle into traffic. Looking to the rear over your shoulder in addition to using your rear-view mirror allows you to confirm that there are no obstacles, pedestrians, or other vehicles in your path. This method provides a broader field of vision and helps to eliminate blind spots, making it a crucial step for safe maneuvering.

Using just a blind spot check would not give you enough information about what is behind your vehicle, which can lead to accidents. Signaling your exit is important for communicating with other drivers, but it does not replace the need to visually confirm that it is safe to leave your parking space. Proceeding without looking is highly unsafe and can result in collisions, as it shows a complete disregard for the area around you. Therefore, the correct approach is to thoroughly check your surroundings by looking both over your shoulder and in your mirrors before exiting the parking space.