Saat mengemudi, Ibu selalu memeriksa spion sebelum memutar setir.

Yes. Saat means when or at the time of. In this sentence, Saat mengemudi means when driving or while driving.

A few similar words are:

• saat = when, at the moment/time
• ketika = when
• waktu = time; sometimes also when in context

In everyday Indonesian, all three can often be used in similar ways, though saat can sound slightly neat or standard here.

Both are possible, but they are a little different in tone.

• mengemudi = to drive, to operate a vehicle
• menyetir = to drive, to steer

Mengemudi is a standard and slightly more formal or neutral word.
Menyetir is also very common in conversation.

So:

• Saat mengemudi = When driving
• Saat menyetir = also natural in many contexts

Both would be understood.

It can, but not always.

Ibu can mean:

• mother / mom
• Mrs. / ma’am
• a respectful way to address an adult woman

In this sentence, without more context, Ibu could mean:

• Mother/Mom if talking about someone’s mother
• Mrs. or the lady/woman if used as a respectful title

Because it is capitalized, it may be functioning like a title or a respectful form of address.

Because selalu is an adverb meaning always, and in Indonesian it commonly comes before the verb it modifies.

So:

• Ibu selalu memeriksa spion = Mother/Mrs. always checks the mirror

This word order is very normal in Indonesian:

• Dia sering datang terlambat = He often comes late
• Saya selalu bangun pagi = I always wake up early

Memeriksa means to check, to inspect, or to examine.

In this sentence, memeriksa spion means to check the mirror.

The base word is periksa = check, examine.
With the meN- verb prefix, it becomes memeriksa = to check/examine.

This is a very common verb in both everyday and formal Indonesian.

Yes, it is a normal and very common word in Indonesian.

Spion means a vehicle mirror, especially a rear-view or side mirror.
You may also hear:

• kaca spion = mirror glass / car mirror

In driving contexts, spion by itself is very natural.

So memeriksa spion means to check the mirror(s).

Indonesian often leaves out articles and possessive words when the meaning is clear from context.

English usually requires something like:

• the mirror
• her mirror
• the rear-view mirror

But Indonesian can simply say:

• memeriksa spion

This is one of the big differences from English. Indonesian often relies more on context and less on words like the, a, his, her, etc.

Literally, it means before turning the steering wheel.

Breakdown:

• sebelum = before
• memutar = to turn, to rotate
• setir = steering wheel / steering

So the phrase means she checks the mirror before turning the wheel, which in natural English often implies before turning the car or before changing direction.

Indonesian often expresses the physical action more directly.

• memutar setir = to turn the steering wheel

This focuses on the act the driver performs. In English, we often say before turning or before making a turn, but Indonesian may describe it as turning the wheel.

That said, other phrasings are also possible depending on meaning, such as:

• sebelum berbelok = before turning
• sebelum membelokkan mobil = before turning the car

They are related, but not identical in usage.

• setir usually refers to the steering wheel or steering in everyday speech
• kemudi can mean rudder, steering, or controls, and can sound a bit more formal or general

In daily conversation about cars, setir is very common.

Examples:

• pegang setir = hold the steering wheel
• putar setir = turn the steering wheel

So in this sentence, setir is the natural everyday choice.

Because Indonesian often omits repeated subjects when they are obvious from context.

The sentence is understood as:

• Saat mengemudi, Ibu selalu memeriksa spion sebelum (Ibu) memutar setir.

The second Ibu is omitted because it is clearly the same person doing both actions.

This is very common in Indonesian and usually sounds more natural than repeating the subject unnecessarily.

The comma separates the introductory time phrase from the main clause.

• Saat mengemudi, = When driving,
• Ibu selalu memeriksa spion... = Mother/Mrs. always checks the mirror...

This is similar to English punctuation in sentences like:

• When driving, she always checks the mirror first.

In Indonesian, the comma is helpful and natural here, especially in careful writing.

Yes, it is natural and clear.

It sounds like a standard, correct sentence you might see in:

• a textbook
• a driving instruction context
• general written Indonesian

A more casual spoken version might use slightly different words, for example:

• Kalau menyetir, Ibu selalu cek spion sebelum putar setir.

But the original sentence is perfectly normal and grammatically solid.

These are active verb forms made with the Indonesian meN- prefix family. This prefix often marks an active verb, and its form changes depending on the first sound of the root.

Here:

• mengemudi ← from kemudi
• memeriksa ← from periksa
• memutar ← from putar

The prefix changes shape:

• meN- + k... often becomes meng-
• meN- + p... often becomes mem-
• sometimes the original first consonant disappears

So learners often see patterns like:

• kirim → mengirim
• pakai → memakai
• tulis → menulis

You do not need to analyze this every time when speaking, but recognizing the pattern helps a lot with vocabulary building.