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How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

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Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#161

Post by danjayh »

janci wrote: post #157

The problem with any adjustment is that he car can just pass from one view to another just between you refocus your eyes between them (ie. from rear to side mirror, from side mirror to side window). The solution is panoramatic rear view mirror (you can see thru the rear plus backseat side windows) and side mirrors with curved section that pretty much eliminate the blind spot

GM has a fantastic camera enhanced rear-view mirror that solves a lot of these blind-spot problems ...

http://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/general-motors-technology/gm-...

Hope it catches on. Can't wait till it's on more makes/models.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#163

Post by dominotw »

kazinator wrote: post #155
dominotw wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My car has blindspot detection lights on the mirror. I don't do this most of the time now.

You must not be relying on warning system as a substitute for looking. For one thing, if one day it stopped working for some reason, how would you know? How well does it actually work when it works as designed? The one bearing the responsibility is you, not that warning device.

yea manual says this

"The driver is responsible for driving safely. Always be sure to check the surroundings with your eyes when changing lanes or reversing the vehicle. The system is designed to assist the driver to change lanes or reverse safely by monitoring the rear and side areas of the vehicle. However, you cannot rely on this system alone in assuring the safety during a lane change or reversing. Overconfi- dence in this system could result in an accident and lead to serious injury or death. Since the system operation has various limitations, the flashing or illumination of the BSD/RCTA approach indicator light may be delayed or it may not operate at all even when a vehicle is present in a neighboring lane or approach- ing from either side. The driver is responsible for paying attention to the rear and side areas of the vehicle."

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#164

Post by jessaustin »

baddox wrote: post #124
felipemnoa wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>There's no way a car could've gotten there without me seeing it in my mirrors unless it had been dropped from the air into my blind spot. But if you don't check every single time, you will eventually make a mistake and hit another car. It is the same rationale about never pointing a gun at another person. Even if you are 100% sure that it is not loaded.

> But if you don't check every single time, you will eventually make a mistake and hit another car. I don't really follow that logic. If I check every single that it's necessary to check, by definition that is adequate. Of course I'm not genuinely bothered that the driver test proctor scored me by-the-book, I'm sure that's much easier and more consistent for them and it probably rarely makes a difference between pass…

The rule is designed for humans who lack perfect judgment. If you aren't in that category, why are you driving an automobile?

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#165

Post by mlillie »

mstade wrote: post #142

My driving instructor in Sweden gave me a rhyme to remember. It consisted of only three words: blicken, pilen, filen. It literally translates to: the view, the signal, the lane – in that order. Basically you always look through the mirrors first and take a glance to the side your changing lanes into to cover the blind spot, then if it's safe you turn on the signal, and then you switch lanes. It's not entirely accurat…

US equivalent is SMOG: Signal, Mirrors, Over the shoulder, Go when safe.

Not sure whether it is better to signal before or after looking, but that was what my partner's driving instructor taught.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#166

Post by lazulicurio »

kpsychwave wrote: post #45

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

The blind spot mirrors[1] are one of my favorite things about my 2012 Focus. They are a good size and significantly increase the my field of view. I definitely miss them when driving other cars.

It's a shame that manufacturers are going the route of digital blind-spot indicators when mirrors are simpler and more fool proof.

[1] https://www.quirkparts.com/oem-parts/ford-2012-2014-ford-foc...

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#167

Post by AceyMan »

danjayh wrote: post #136
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…

Agree that extra caution is needed for pedestrians and bicycles. Having said that, I never understood why bicycles aren't required to ride on the sidewalks in areas that have them. The threat posed by a car to a bike is much greater than the threat posed by a bike to a pedestrian, therefore, to maximize safety bikes should be on the sidewalk. As far as motorcycles are concerned - I think they're a bad idea in general…

> I never understood why bicycles aren't required to ride on the sidewalks in areas that have them.

I'm so positively gobsmacked that a statement this plainly ignorant came from a fellow HN participant, I don't even know where to begin.

Start with: bicycles are vehicles—always have been, in fact.

Pedestrians are not. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. (It's not a "sideride" after all. )

Even razor/bird scooters on sidewalks are typically forbidden—we have PSAs on the buses here in LA reminding e-scooter riders to ride in the road.

Bikes can participate in traffic, so they ought to be on the road. Bikes mix better with cars than bikes mix with pedx: anyone who walks in a city regularly would know this.

Wow. Just ... wow.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#168

Post by wahern »

InitialLastName wrote: post #143
mveety wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is fantastic advice. The only thing I can really add is you should be keeping track of what’s around you, don’t look just before a lane change. Having good situational awareness is the most important thing when driving.

Biking, I'm perpetually baffled by the people who drive up behind me, overtake me, and seem to forget I'm there before they even finish passing me. The worst case is when they expect to turn right soon; I consistently have drivers half-overtake me and then start moving towards me, or turn right across a bike lane without looking.

For a stretch of a few hundred feet (like a city block) where you'll both likely come to a stop, do you prefer cars overtake you beforehand or to trail behind? Do cars trailing you make you anxious?

I don't think I've ever forgotten about a biker I've passed, but I also like to avoid situations where I might forget, which put the biker in a position to surprise me, or which impede my maneuverability if something else happens.

But while I'm okay poking along for a block, if there's traffic behind me then that could result in an impatient driver overtaking both of us, which could be far worse. It's a tricky balancing act.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#169

Post by oftenwrong »

danjayh wrote: post #161
janci wrote: post #157

The problem with any adjustment is that he car can just pass from one view to another just between you refocus your eyes between them (ie. from rear to side mirror, from side mirror to side window). The solution is panoramatic rear view mirror (you can see thru the rear plus backseat side windows) and side mirrors with curved section that pretty much eliminate the blind spot

GM has a fantastic camera enhanced rear-view mirror that solves a lot of these blind-spot problems ... http://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/general-motors-technology/gm-... Hope it catches on. Can't wait till it's on more makes/models.

>Researchers and engineers working on the GM Rear Camera Mirror have been awarded 10 patents – one for the streaming video mirror and nine for video processing. The patents cover innovations in the wide field of view camera image calibration, de-warping, glare reduction and camera hardware design.

I assume that this will add some friction to adoption of similar video mirrors by other automakers.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#170

Post by TomBombadildoze »

adrr wrote: post #77
wcarron wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

> The article diagrams clearly shows a blind spot

The diagrams in the article are terrible. The only weakness in the author's argument is the poor quality of the visual aids.

Draw your own on a piece of paper with sight lines originating from the driver's position, then projected/reflected to the mirrors. You'll find there's total overlap.

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