This whole discussion is aggravating. There would be no blind spot if there were two mirrors per side, or those blind spot mirrors, or god forbid, space-remapping cameras or proximity detectors (which now are standard on some cars). It's at the end a cost issue.
How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
271–280 of 321 posts
Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
#272Earlier 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…
Turning your head is not necessary. When you have side mirrors set up correctly you need to first look in the rear view mirror and only then in the side mirror.
You will not always drive cars with perfectly adjusted (or adjustable) mirrors. The responsible thing to do (if you can) is to turn around.
For me this is mostly about the extra time it keeps me from making a stupid deadly mistakes. Switching lanes that way takes longer, and this is a feature not a bug.
Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
#273Earlier 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.
I think this is caused by drivers who think "cyclist == basically not moving" when in reality cyclists can be doing a pretty good speed, ~20mph isn't rare. Most drivers haven't ridden a bike since they were kids, though.
When I took my driving test in Ireland the examiner marked me down for checking for cyclists and simply said "there won't be any cyclists doing 20kph" - which of course is a very normal cycling speed.
Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
#274Earlier quoted context omitted.
Come again? Isn’t the more reasonable explanation simply that cars have to meet much more stringent auto safety standards which required thicker, more obnoxious A pillars?
A pillars don't create much of a problem; you're pretty much always going to be aware of objects 45 degrees to the left or right of your heading. fat B and C pillars are far more problematic. that said, there are plenty of affordable cars with great visibility (e.g., a vw golf). if you pick a car with bad visibility, it's kinda on you.
A pillars can hide cyclists https://singletrackworld.com/2018/01/collision-course-why-th...
Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
#275Earlier quoted context omitted.
Turning your head is not necessary. When you have side mirrors set up correctly you need to first look in the rear view mirror and only then in the side mirror.
You will not always drive cars with perfectly adjusted (or adjustable) mirrors. The responsible thing to do (if you can) is to turn around. For me this is mostly about the extra time it keeps me from making a stupid deadly mistakes. Switching lanes that way takes longer, and this is a feature not a bug.
The responsible thing is to adjust your mirrors to be able yo drive safely. Where I live (EU) all new cars are required to have adjustable mirrors and have been for a very long time. I would expect the same for US.
Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
#276There 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. I remember having a lively debate at a company "safety moment" over this. All of the managers thought this was a great idea, while a small but vocal contingent of snarky developers argued this was complete nonsense designed to make everyone feel good about being "safe". Sure, its something that you can do to increase visibility, but it lures you into a false sense of security and takes you out of the habit of looking and turning your head. that is not good.
When you are piloting a multi ton hunk of steel and flammables, you should take care to look around you and be aware of everything and everyone around you. This cannot be done with Mirrors, cameras and sensors alone. Use your eyes, and turn your head. Ive a really good friend that was crushed by a car that didn't see him in the "blind spot". He had just purchased his dream bicycle, was out putting in road work, and a car swerved and smashed him between a concrete embankment and the car. 3 years later, he walks with a cane, has a replacement hip, knee and sets off any metal detector to its maximum reading. Please look around for everyone.
Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
#277There 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…
Yes you'll probably still want to turn your head somewhat. However, the way most people adjust side mirrors, so they can see the side of the car without moving their head, is unnecessary. The view out the rear window from the rear-view mirror angles outward. Therefore if your side mirrors give you a view straight back down the sides of the car, you have overlap beginning right at the corner of your car. By turning th…
If there is no overlap, you've created a blind spot large enough for a motor bike or regular cyclist, and it is one you cannot easily check. By adjusting your side mirrors so you see straight with the overlap, you have eliminated the blind spot and create another one that you can easily check by turning your head.
Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
#278Earlier quoted context omitted.
I used to emphasize and practice that, back when I drove a '93 Honda Civic. It was a useful skill as I would naturally adjust my speed to prevent cars from cruising in my blind spot or to give myself more room for maneuvering. But newer cars have such poor visibility that it takes too much effort to track movement such that it becomes a diversion. In my '93 Civic any kind of movement in my peripheral--direct or in th…
Definitely true about newer cars. My wife and I shop for cars specifically looking at the back window being small and raised too high as an automatic NO. We last bought in 2011, and the car has one of the largest back windows on the road today. I don't know what we're going to do when it's time for an upgrade.
Is it newer cars or newer US cars?
I've driven a fair amount of rentals in both US and Europe and I'm always amazed at how big the blind spot is in the US.
In Europe the smallest car typically does not fit in the blind spot, in the US a pick up truck fits in there.
Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
#279Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ignorant because it's not what you believe, or because you have data to justify your beliefs? Explain to me the logic from a safety perspective. 40mph car vs 15mph bike? Biker is lucky to live. 15mph bike vs 4mph pedestrian? Maybe a broken bone, if that. Besides insulting me and declaring that because bicycles are vehicles they should be on the road, you provide no quantitative reasoning to back your position. I fail…
People are having a strong reaction to what you're saying because you're fundamentally presuming a car-centric infrastructure where others have to accommodate cars. Bikes are vehicles and have as much of a right to be on the road as cars do. It is car drivers' and regulators' responsibility to make cars avoid colliding with bikes, not vice versa. There are plenty of collisions between cars and big rigs on freeways, y…
> Bikes are vehicles and have as much of a right to be on the road as cars do.
Only vehicles that have been built to safety and performance standards, checked for roadworthiness, been registered and insured, and are under the control of licensed operators are allowed on the road.
When bicycles accept the same responsibilities they can enjoy the right to be be on the road.
Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”
#280No. A thousand times no. I did this, on the advice of “Click” and “Clack” the CarTalk brothers. Shortly after, I backed into a short concrete pillar and messed up my left rear fender. The pillar was too short to see out of the back window, but I would have seen it if my side mirrors were set correctly as they reach you in school. You have to see where your fenders are going. Imagine if it was a small child back there…
Yeah I also worry this advice would make it harder to back up. I drive a large minivan and use my side view mirrors all the time to check if I’m going to hit something when backing up. That would be a lot harder if I were not able to see my own car in the mirror.
Although I guess all you would need to do to see your own car in the mirror would be to lean to the side a bit... so maybe not a big deal.