Observation and Shoulder Checks During the CBR Practical Exam

Observation belongs to the move

A right turn, a lane change and moving away from the kerb have different conflict areas. The relevant mirrors and blind-area check follow from what you are about to do, not from one magic sentence that solves the whole exam.

For a right turn, for example, the CBR procedure describes checking the interior mirror, ahead, the right mirror and briefly over the right shoulder during preparation.

Timing matters as much as order

A perfect check performed too early can become old information. Traffic keeps moving while you indicate, slow down and decide.

If the situation changes before the move, update the relevant check. Briefly. Then bring your eyes forward. A shoulder check is meant to answer a blind-area question, not become a sightseeing trip.

Look for a reason

Before every glance, know what you are trying to find: a cyclist beside you, a car in the next lane, traffic behind before moving off.

Why a correct-looking routine can still miss the danger

A mirror shows only the part of the road it covers at the moment you look. It may not reveal a cyclist behind a van, a vehicle in the blind area, or someone approaching from the other direction on a two-way cycle track. When turning right, the mirror and shoulder checks find traffic beside and behind, but the cycle crossing ahead needs its own look. More head movement towards the same mirror will not reveal a cyclist arriving from the opposite side.

Example: a second cyclist arrives while you wait

Before turning right, you checked the right-side area and waited for a cyclist. You then watched the car ahead for a few seconds. The first cyclist has passed, but a second one could now be alongside. Recheck the place of risk before steering: the observation you made before the wait does not automatically cover the situation after the wait.

Practise by move

• Moving off: check, then update just before you go.
• Right turn: see cyclists and right turns.
• Lane change: see is the gap still there?

After each lesson, write down which check you made late. That is more useful than "look more". If you struggle with overload, see handling overload.

What the July 2026 Rijprocedure actually specifies

The CBR Rijprocedure B, section 3, gives a specific order for pulling away from the right: interior mirror, ahead, left exterior mirror, left shoulder. For pulling away from the left, check the corresponding right side. It is a particular example, not a universal four-word order for every move.

For turning right, the conflict may include a cyclist alongside you or approaching along a separate track. For merging, you need ongoing information about the main carriageway and a final check of the space you will enter. For a special manoeuvre, section 3.7 requires observation that keeps the operation safe throughout, using mirrors and shoulder checks; reversing cameras can supplement but do not replace your own observation.