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How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

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Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#71

Post by jdietrich »

Loughla wrote: post #50
oliveshell wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For what it’s worth, it’s like that in much of the U.S. too— at least in my state (North Carolina), you’ll certainly fail the test if you change lanes without checking your blind spot. Driving tests vary state to state, though. And I agree with you that overall, driver education in the U.S. is woeful. I didn’t even have to parallel park for mine! Meanwhile Scandinavians have to prove they can recover from a slide to…

I think it's about context. Scandinavians have snow and Ice, so it's more likely they'll skid. I never had to parallel park, either, for my test, but I also will never parallel park unless I travel 4+ hours away from my home. I did have to prove I could control/stop a skid on gravel, and make a decision on whether to pull onto the soft shoulder or pass or stop or whatever on a narrow lane. Because there is much grave…

>Scandinavians have snow and ice, so it's more likely they'll skid.

A lot of the US has snow and ice too.

Many areas of the south have considerable issues with poor traction. Heavy rainfall after a long dry spell typically disturbs the accumulated contamination on the road surface, creating a sudden and drastic reduction in friction. Dust deposited by desert winds can be almost as slippery as ice. The infrequency of these conditions mean they pose a particular hazard, because drivers lack experience in dealing with them.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#72

Post by Haegin »

SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #54
wcarron wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Over-reliance on technology is a plague on driving quality. This is actually why I (and I realize this isn't realistic) think that new drivers should be required to learn to driv and pass the driving test using a manual transmission vehicle without driver aids such as blind-spot detection, lane-assist, assistive braking, etc. Each year, cars become more and more insulated and isolated from the reality of driving, whi…

> manual transmission vehicle Why? I get that there is going to be a lot of missing sensors, but the automatic transmission is now so ubiquitous that it makes no sense to require you not to. I understand it's a nice additional skill, but in the modern era it in no way proves/disproves one's ability to function on the roadway. In fact, once these sensors all become as equally ubiquitous, there will be very little argu…

In the UK (where I learnt to drive) you can take the test on either transmission, but if you take it in an automatic then that's all you can drive, whereas if you pass the test in a manual you're qualified for both.

Additionally, manual cars are far more ubiquitous in the UK than they are in Canada (where I live now) and the US (at least, as far as I know). Because of this pretty much everyone learns on a manual car.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#73

Post by chooseaname »

My father taught me this forever ago when I was learning to drive.

If this is done correctly, as a vehicle is coming up on, say, the left of you, as it is leaving your rear view mirror, it's entering the side view mirror. It should actually be in BOTH mirrors simultaneously. There's no blind spot.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#74

Post by lhorie »

tinbad wrote: post #15
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 an integral part of a driving exam in the Netherlands. You are drilled to look over the shoulder for literally every maneuver (lane switch, turn, etc.) and if you fail to do it even once during the driving exam you will get a fail. In other news: driving test in the US is a complete joke.

I did a driving test in Toronto and one in San Francisco. In Toronto, failing to shoulder check once wouldn't normally be an auto-fail in the same way that blowing a stop sign would, because most maneuvers are evaluated three times. If you fail to do it all three times, then that's a strike.

In San Francisco, we only did a few turns and that was it. Not even any form of parking or three point turns.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#75

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

wcarron wrote: post #60
SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> manual transmission vehicle Why? I get that there is going to be a lot of missing sensors, but the automatic transmission is now so ubiquitous that it makes no sense to require you not to. I understand it's a nice additional skill, but in the modern era it in no way proves/disproves one's ability to function on the roadway. In fact, once these sensors all become as equally ubiquitous, there will be very little argu…

Because a manual transmission makes you engage more with the car. You must control it more actively, thus teaching drivers to focus on and observe the car and road rather than waiting for directives from sensors like blind-spot detection lights. An automatic mentally allows the driver to feel and operate more like a passenger than a pilot. Manual trans prevents this. It's not about some pretentious "feel" like porsch…

> An automatic mentally allows the driver to feel and operate more like a passenger than a pilot. Manual trans prevents this.

I don't understand, they are still steering the craft, as well as adjusting it's speed. You haven't removed any of the important requirements for driving - being able to steer the vehicle and modify it's velocity. The ability to use a clutch and change gears simply compounds the difficulty of that exercise, it doesn't cause the driver to necessarily engage with the car in a way affects the drivers skill, it may have a higher skill floor, but it doesn't really make for a higher performance ceiling.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#76

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

Haegin wrote: post #72
SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> manual transmission vehicle Why? I get that there is going to be a lot of missing sensors, but the automatic transmission is now so ubiquitous that it makes no sense to require you not to. I understand it's a nice additional skill, but in the modern era it in no way proves/disproves one's ability to function on the roadway. In fact, once these sensors all become as equally ubiquitous, there will be very little argu…

In the UK (where I learnt to drive) you can take the test on either transmission, but if you take it in an automatic then that's all you can drive, whereas if you pass the test in a manual you're qualified for both. Additionally, manual cars are far more ubiquitous in the UK than they are in Canada (where I live now) and the US (at least, as far as I know). Because of this pretty much everyone learns on a manual car.

> In the UK (where I learnt to drive) you can take the test on either transmission, but if you take it in an automatic then that's all you can drive, whereas if you pass the test in a manual you're qualified for both.

That's totally fine and totally fair. Manual cars do take additional skill to operate. My argument is that those skills don't make you a better driver overall. If you were to put a manual and automatic driver in an automatic car, the manual driver won't necessarily be the better driver by virtue of their being able to shift gears.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#77

Post by adrr »

wcarron wrote: post #14
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.

I disagree. Proper side view mirror alignment results in the car driver able to clearly see the dividing lines for a significant distance behind the car. A vehicle following closely behind you does (or rather, should) not impede the side view mirrors.

Maybe you should make an article on it. The article diagrams clearly shows a blind spot for lane splitting motorcycles just like every other article on the subject including the youtube videos showing proper alignment mirrors.

A car following closely behind you impedes the rearview mirror. Just look out of it next time your stuck in stop and go traffic where lane splitting happens.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#78

Post by ams6110 »

Freestyler_3 wrote: post #68
m1n1 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 m…

I have my mirrors set as TFA describes. I dislike the surprise of having a clear view in the mirror and then noticing a vehicle is actually next to you but behind the cutoff of peripheral vision.

That said, I still turn my head and check before changing lanes. Belt and suspenders.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#79

Post by skaomatic »

Marsymars wrote: post #67
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.

Likely because they've found the tech attractive to buyers compared to "hey, we have another mirror on this mirror" - and that they can pad their dealer network's income stream from the all-too-common side mirror repair/replacement.

But, yes. From a practical standpoint - it's utterly bizzare to me as well!

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#80

Post by AngryData »

This is how you end up thinking you don't have blindspots and end up hitting someone/something. Blind spots need to be checked by turning your head unless you have 4 inch round fisheye mirrors that would fit equally well on a dumptruck or semi-truck. Those little tiny spot mirrors on consumer cars? Those are 4/5 times complete garbage and don't give nearly enough vision. If someone walks behind your car, at no point in time should they disappear without moving your head even for a fraction of a second.
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