What should you do first before backing your vehicle?

Before backing your vehicle, the first critical action is to check the path. This ensures that you are fully aware of the area behind your vehicle and any potential hazards. By checking the path, you can identify obstacles such as pedestrians, other vehicles, or objects that may not be visible from your mirrors alone. This is crucial for safety, as failing to check could lead to accidents or damage.

While turning your body, looking in mirrors, and pressing the brake pedal are all important steps in the backing procedure, they come after assessing the path. Turning your body to look out the rear window and checking mirrors are part of the overall observation process but are not the very first step. Pressing the brake pedal is necessary for controlling your vehicle while backing, but knowing the path is paramount to safely maneuvering the vehicle in reverse. Hence, checking the path is the essential first step to ensure safety and awareness.