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The MSM (or Hazard) Routine
(plus a few other things)!

You may have already heard of the MSM (Mirror - Signal - Manoeuvre) routine, which is a sequence of actions we run through before we change speed, road position or direction (for example when we turn left or right or go around a roundabout).
The MSM routine is also employed whenever we approach a HAZARD: hazards can be either STATIC, like pedestrian crossings, bends, lamp posts or roundabouts, or MOVING, such as pedestrians, dogs, horses, other vehicles, cyclists and so on. As well as these you could also encounter weather hazards like snow, rain, fog or driving in the dark. In fact, if you were to sit down and list the possible hazards you might meet on today’s roads you could probably think of hundreds.

So how does the MSM routine work?

M (MIRRORS)
As soon as you know you intend, for example, to turn left into a side road, you must check your mirrors in pairs for the direction you intend to turn (In this case firstly your interior mirror and then your left door mirror). What you see in your mirrors can then help you decide whether or not it is safe to continue with your manoeuvre.
S (SIGNAL)
If it is safe to continue then you can signal a left turn using the direction indicators (or, exceptionally, use a left turn arm signal as well if it would be safer to do so).
M (MANOEUVRE)
You can now approach the junction at the appropriate speed and make the left turn into the new road.

(Also, in normal driving, the first thing you must do when you see any HAZARD ahead of you is CHECK YOUR MIRRORS - once you have done this you will know what is happening all around, not just in front of you - only then, when you are fully aware of the facts, can you make an informed decision on how to deal with the approaching hazard).

If only life were that simple!

In practice, we need to break the MSM routine down into smaller elements: the MIRROR - SIGNAL parts are left as they are but the MANOEUVRE part is broken down into POSITION - SPEED/GEAR - LOOK. What this means in effect is that after checking your mirrors and signaling you should adjust your POSITION in the road, if necessary, then slow down so your SPEED is suitable for making the turn and to engage a lower GEAR (probably second) just before turning into the new road. Finally you should LOOK into the new road, as well as the road ahead and checking the correct mirrors once again to make sure it is still safe to make the turn (e.g. to check for cyclists coming up your left side when making a left turn).

Therefore we now have: M-S-P-S/G-L
or Mirror, Signal, Position, Speed/Gear, Look

This order of this sequence is not set in stone, however (note how we just checked the mirrors once again, immediately before making that turn). Each time you use the MSM routine the road conditions and circumstances around you will be different. Depending on the hazard you encounter or type of manoeuvre you intend to make you may have to adjust your speed before signaling, or change position after adjusting your speed. Similarly, you should be making effective observations at all times which means, for example, at an open junction without hedges or buildings obscuring the view, you may be able to look into the new road well before you get to the junction. So the order that you do things in may change, depending on the circumstances existing at the time - every moment of your driving experience is a unique snapshot in time and you must be able to decide how to react to every new situation on an individual basis. What is set in stone is the first step - MIRRORS - this must always be the first thing you do when using the MSM routine.

As if that weren’t enough!

For good measure, we can throw in another little formula: L-A-D-A!
This stands for - Look, Assess, Decide, Act. This is a break-down of the final “LOOK” part of M-S-P-S/G-L. When coming to a roundabout or any other junction or hazard you must LOOK to see what is happening around you and in the road ahead, ASSESS the situation you have just seen, DECIDE whether is is safe to go or not and ACT on your decision by emerging into the new road or waiting until safe, according to your earlier decision. You will also use L-A-D-A all the time in normal driving as you approach hazards and decide what to do about them.

So if we really want to get technical we can add LADA on the end of our
M-S-P-S/G-L routine to get M-S-P-S/G-L-A-D-A
or Mirror, Position, Speed/Gear, Look, Assess, Decide and Act!
But let’s keep it simple and remember the routine as M-S-P-S/G-L - if you learn that formula by heart you can then cross each element off in your mind as you carry it out on approaching a hazard or junction. You will find yourself employing the L-A-D-A formula more and more instinctively as your driving improves. After all, if you didn’t Look, Assess, Decide and Act on your decisions whilst driving you might as well be driving around wearing a blindfold! Don’t worry, it all starts to become automatic after a while. But remember, the order of the full routine (now including L-A-D-A) is not set in stone and you should begin to Look and Assess the situation ahead (and behind, using the mirrors) as soon as possible and as many times as possible during the routine.

And finally.....

While we are on the subject of the formulas or acronyms we use when driving, let’s not forget about moving off and stopping......
When stopping at the side of the road we use the most basic form of the MSM formula by checking our MIRRORS, SIGNALING (if there is anyone around to benefit from a signal - see how the MSM routine can be adapted to different circumstances?) and then performing the MANOEUVRE of steering in towards the kerb and coming to a halt.
When moving off again we do, in fact, use the MSM routine, but this time we think instead of the P-O-M formula for PREPARE - OBSERVE - MOVE.
We use P-O-M because we have extra things to do like PREPARE the car by finding the biting point and taking special OBSERVATIONS when moving off from a parked position. Similarly it is not always appropriate to use a SIGNAL when moving off and so the P-O-M covers the job better than the M-S-M routine, which stipulates that you should always use a signal as part of the routine: REMEMBER - when moving off from and stopping at the side of the road you must decide whether a signal is necessary or not, but when making any other positive directional change whilst actually driving, a signal is almost always necessary.

So the main ones you need to memorize and use are: -
P-O-M (for moving away from the kerb)
M-S-P-S/G-L (for approaches when turning at junctions or approaching other hazards)
L-A-D-A (for emerging/turning at junctions and for use as a general decision making formula for any situations that arise in general driving)
M-S-M (being the basic simple form of the hazard routine before being split into its various components)

There are, no doubt many more annoying bunches of letters out there which various people have invented to confuse the best of us but if you stick to the four described above and use them you will not go far wrong.

The idea behind using these formulas is to train drivers in the use of a SYSTEM of good driving practice. By employing such a system you will become a much safer driver who will drive correctly, under control and without putting yourself, your passengers and other road users at risk. If you were to drive without concentration and without using such a system whenever you were behind the wheel, you would be at much greater risk of being involved in, or causing accidents. Remember, road traffic accidents can not only ruin your day but can be extremely damaging to your bank balance and your insurance premiums! More importantly, they can injure, maim and kill innocent people, whose suffering you should rightly feel responsible for throughout the rest of your life.

So drive carefully, with consideration and enjoy !!

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