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How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

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Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#61

Post by nickm12 »

hitpointdrew wrote: post #8

This is one of those things that most people do wrong and just aren't comfortable doing it the correct way. I tried to get my mother to setup her mirrors correctly but she just puts them back to an improper setup. For some reason people can't get past not being able to see the side of their own vehicle in their side mirrors. They think they need this reference point. Drivers education should really be pushing this so…

This is so true. I was fortunate to learn about the technique described in the article when I learned to drive in high school and have used it for the past 25 years. However, I've completely failed to ever convince anyone else that this is the right way to do it. I've mainly tried it with people I shared a car with, first my parents and later my wife. They are so insistent on wanting to see the side of the car, but can't explain why that matters. My only hope is to indoctrinate my children when they start driving.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#62

Post by jdietrich »

criley2 wrote: post #18
wcarron wrote: post #11

There's an even simpler, more effective way of checking blind spots: Actually turning ones head and looking over the shoulder. The "blind spot" doesn't exist when drivers exercise proper caution and responsible driving behavior. Of course, expecting this of drivers is unrealistically utopian. Nevertheless, a "blind spot" is just another excuse for unsafe drivers.

Turning your head means not looking forward. You might think it is safe to operate a multi-ton death machine at death speeds while closing your eyes or looking backwards or whatever you're doing except looking forward. But it is not. Learn to use mirrors, so your peripheral vision remains on the most important thing: where you are going. "Turning your head" is an unsafe way to avoid having properly set mirrors. With…

What you're suggesting directly contradicts the recommendations given in Roadcraft, the official police driver's handbook in the UK.

Use all your mirrors, and consider a shoulder check when it’s not safe to rely on your mirrors alone – for example, to check any blind spot when reversing, moving off from the kerb, joining a motorway or leaving a roundabout.

It is physically impossible to achieve all-round visibility using only the mirrors. The coverage angle of your mirrors and your effective field of view do not sum to 360 degrees. You will have at least two blind spots to the side, two A-pillar blind spots to the front and in many cars additional rear blind spots.

Try it for yourself - sit in the driver seat of your car in a safe open space, then ask someone to slowly walk around the car in an outward spiral. It should become readily apparent that at certain angles and distances, they disappear from view entirely unless you turn your head.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#64

Post by pps43 »

justtopost wrote: post #40
Havoc wrote: post #12

I can deal with blindspots. What boggles my mind is that some modern cars still have abnormally large ones. Cars with bad crash ratings get shat on but apparently designs with massive blindspots are totally OK.

Indeed. It puzzles me too how an A-pillar large enough to disapear a motorcycle, or group of children, is somehow accepted as safe. Our indescriminate push for safely has taken control from our hands in many contexts it seems.

Passive safety. A-pillar might be so bulky because it contains curtain airbag and provides structural stability necessary for good crash rating.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#66

Post by wcarron »

mywittyname wrote: post #52
wcarron wrote: post #11

There's an even simpler, more effective way of checking blind spots: Actually turning ones head and looking over the shoulder. The "blind spot" doesn't exist when drivers exercise proper caution and responsible driving behavior. Of course, expecting this of drivers is unrealistically utopian. Nevertheless, a "blind spot" is just another excuse for unsafe drivers.

This is not an effective way of checking your blind spot. Unless you have a convertible or lean your head out of the window, the C-pillar will still block your vision. You have to properly configure your side mirror in order to eliminate blind spots in most cars. With a side mirror configured like in the article, you can see everything beside you by sweeping your head just a few inches. This works extremely well, eve…

I don't think using such a poor design as a standard example of visibility is fair. Most cars have a far greater range of vision than the camaro, seeing as it's a low-seated, low-slung, small-windowed muscle coupe.

Also, a Camaro doesn't have B-Pillars the way a sedan or crossover does. I suppose they technically may be B-Pillars, but their rear (whether they are considered B or C) pillars are placed where a traditional C-Pillar goes in a 4-door vehicle.

Additionally, as I've mentioned elsewhere in the thread, checking over your shoulder should always be done in conjuction with checking your mirrors. Mirrors first, head check 2nd. Checking over your shoulder is a tried and true method of verifying that the space to the side and rear of your vehicle is clear. It is safe and effective.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#67

Post by Marsymars »

kpsychwave wrote: post #45

Blind spot mirrors solve this issue, and they are very cheap. I am surprised they are not mandated by manufacturers.

It's especially weird that many cars opt for LEDs in the corner of the mirror that light up when blind-spot sensors detect a vehicle in the blind spot. Seems both less effective, more failure-prone, and more expensive than a simple blind spot mirror.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#68

Post by Freestyler_3 »

m1n1 wrote: post #44
ummonk wrote: post #25

There are smaller things (bicycles, motorcycles, pedestrians) that can sneak into the gap between the side and rearview mirror views here. And colliding with one of those is much more likely to cause serious injury or death than colliding with a car. It's a much better idea to make sure your side and rear mirrors have complete coverage (i.e. no gaps) at the back, and actually turning your head to check the blind spot…

This, and the other comments that say turning your head is still necessary. I tried what the link suggests and had many instances where a motorcycle zipped by close to my car -- I didn't notice them until [what would have been] too late because I couldn't see the area next to my car easily that way. Now I have my mirrors adjusted so I can see motorcycles better, and I turn my head to check the remainder. All humans a…

This method requires you to also lean into the mirror to see more towards the side of the car.

It is ridiculous, because the side mirrors should give you a far away view, and then you look to the side to make sure that closeby there is nothing either. You only have to turn your head.

Now this method in the article would make you lean into mirror to get behind you, then you go back to normal position and look in the mirror, then you look to the side. Someone thinks they have found a hack to mirrors and driving, but they are just making it more dangerous especially by spreading this new interesting way.

The message still stands that a lot of drivers could have avoided hitting someone if they had used their mirrors and looked to the side. Accidents however often happen because of distraction causing a driver not to do what they normally would do.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#69

Post by Marsymars »

snarf21 wrote: post #4
adrr wrote: post #2

Works only if lane splitting for motorcycles isn't allowed. You need to be able to see between lanes and the rearview can be obscured by a close following vehicle you.

It also means you always need to re-adjust your mirrors for parking, especially for more urban areas. I don't understand why a portion of the mirror can't simply be made convex. There are lots of aftermarket adhesive ones that do exactly this.

There are cars that come with a convex bit in the mirror in their stock configuration, it's been common in Ford's lineup for years.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#70

Post by wcarron »

CharlesW wrote: post #55
wcarron wrote: post #11

There's an even simpler, more effective way of checking blind spots: Actually turning ones head and looking over the shoulder. The "blind spot" doesn't exist when drivers exercise proper caution and responsible driving behavior. Of course, expecting this of drivers is unrealistically utopian. Nevertheless, a "blind spot" is just another excuse for unsafe drivers.

> There's an even simpler, more effective way of checking blind spots: Actually turning ones head and looking over the shoulder. Properly adjusting your mirrors doesn't mean that you never turn your head and look over your shoulder, but that you don't have to do it nearly as often. That's good, because physically turning your head is an incredibly slow and risky operation when compared to a glance.

Physically turning your head in __not__ a risky operation if a driver has given proper following distance to the vehicle in front. Turning to look over your shoulder is only dangerous if you are driving dangerously by following too closely or at an excessive speed difference between your vehicle and surrounding traffic.

My personal rule of thumb is at least 1 car length for every 10mph I'm traveling at, so at 70mph >= 7 car lengths between me and the vehicle in front of me.

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