A guy at the tire shop in Reno told me to stop checking my mirrors at red lights, and it bugs me
I was getting two new front tires put on at a shop off Virginia Street in Reno when the older guy working the counter started chatting with me. He noticed I kept glancing at my side mirrors while we stood there, and he asked if I did that at stop lights too. I said yeah, all the time, ever since some lady rear ended me at a light on McCarran 3 years ago. He shook his head and said most drivers check the wrong thing, they watch the car right behind them instead of the one coming up fast in the lane next to them. He told me he has seen people get shoved into oncoming traffic because they never saw the car drifting over from the side. That sat with me for a while because I do exactly what he described, and I thought I was being careful this whole time. Now I catch myself doing a quick side check too, but it feels weird and I am not sure it actually helps. Has anyone else changed how they watch traffic behind them after hearing something like this, or is this guy just overthinking it?
The tire guy is half right at best. Watching the lane next to you does nothing if you don't also know what's directly behind you, because that's the car that will actually hit you first. Some mechanic making conversation isn't a driving coach, so don't let him mess with a habit that already saved you once.