Alberta Motor Association (AMA) Learner’s Practice Exam 2026 - Free Learner's Practice Questions and Study Guide

When backing up to the left, it is essential to look over your left shoulder. This action allows you to have a clear view of the area where you're moving the vehicle, helping to ensure safety by checking for any obstacles, pedestrians, or other vehicles that may be in your path. By turning your head to the left, you are directly aligning your line of sight with the direction in which you are backing up, providing the best visibility to make informed driving decisions.

Looking in the rearview mirror or the center mirror can provide some context about what is directly behind you; however, these mirrors may not fully reflect the dangers or objects located to the side where you are backing. Thus, while they have their use in general visibility, they are not sufficiently reliable for the specific task of backing left. Turning to check the right shoulder is also unnecessary in this scenario since you are primarily concerned with the left side.