How is a head check performed to ensure safety while riding?

A head check is an essential maneuver that riders use to enhance safety by ensuring they are fully aware of their surroundings, particularly concerning blind spots where other vehicles may not be visible in mirrors. The correct method, which is turning your head to check your blind spot, allows the rider to visually confirm that the area beside and behind them is clear, reducing the risk of a collision when changing lanes or making turns.

While using mirrors is a good practice for overall awareness, mirrors do have limitations and can miss certain angles or positions of other vehicles, particularly those in blind spots. Looking over your shoulder is also a complementary action but does not fully encapsulate the idea of a comprehensive head check, which is specifically about turning your head to scan and confirm that no hazards are outside of your usual line of sight. Braking to slow down is an important skill in riding but is not related to the head check maneuver, as it does not enhance situational awareness in the same way that physically checking blind spots does.