What two things should you always do before changing lanes?

Always checking your mirrors and blind spots is essential before changing lanes because it ensures that you have a clear understanding of your surroundings. This practice helps to identify potential hazards such as other vehicles that may be in adjacent lanes or approaching from behind, as well as any pedestrians or cyclists that might be in your path. By thoroughly checking mirrors, you can see vehicles that are behind or beside you, while checking blind spots ensures you don’t miss anything that might not be visible in your mirrors. This combination promotes safety and helps prevent collisions when making lane changes.

While signaling and accelerating, looking for pedestrians and other vehicles, or changing lanes only when on a highway are important driving practices, they do not encapsulate the most critical steps to ensure safety when changing lanes. Signaling is necessary to communicate your intent to others, but without first confirming through mirrors and blind spots that it's safe to do so, signaling alone won't prevent accidents. Similarly, while being aware of nearby pedestrians and vehicles is important, it doesn’t replace the necessity to check your overall lane and blind spot awareness before making a movement. Lastly, choosing to change lanes only on highways is a restrictive view, as lane changes are often necessary and can occur on various types of roads.