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How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

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Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#81

Post by pdonis »

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…

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

You don't need to move your head at all to see a car at any point while it is coming up behind you and passing you: that's the whole point of adjusting your mirrors the way the article describes.

As the article notes, you should still turn your head before making a maneuver like changing lanes. But because your mirrors are giving you more coverage, the head turning doesn't need to be as extreme.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#82

Post by ams6110 »

wcarron wrote: post #23
tinbad wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

In the US, this is also part of the driving exam. However, it is not an automatic failure on its own. I myself failed to do it once, on the test for turning right after crossing through a bicycle lane on my right. Every other maneuver, I checked over my shoulder. Felt bad because I used to commute via bicycle and it was...well, a little ironic that I messed up there of all places. Agreed, though. The US driving test…

The bike lane on the right scenario is just stupidity. In what other context is it permitted to turn right across another straight-ahead lane to the right? When I turn right and there is a bike lane to my right, I pull into the bike lane first so nobody can pass me.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#83

Post by InclinedPlane »

1. Adjust your side mirrors so they have minimal overlap in coverage, which means you get maximum overall field of view.

2. Check your mirrors routinely (though not constantly, that can be distracting in itself). Stuff doesn't just sneak up on you out of nowhere, unless you aren't paying attention. Cars can't materialize in your blind spot, they have to drive there, and if you're paying attention you'll see them, you'll know where they are even when you can't see them in your mirrors directly. Don't just use your mirrors as a final check as you are changing lanes or making a turn, use them to maintain situational awareness around you.

3. Check your blindspot by turning your head and looking at it with your eyes before you make a lane change or turn. This is your last minute double check that your situational awareness map of what's around you is accurate. If you've been paying attention then this check will almost always be what you expect, but it's still valuable to double check (the belt and suspenders strategy).

4. (actually number zero) STOP FOLLOWING SO CLOSELY. Drive defensively, leave a decent gap ahead of you, don't drive for extended periods of time side by side with other vehicles (especially much bigger ones). This sets you up for success instead of setting you up for failure, it means you have a buffer on your reaction time. If you have an extra second or two of reaction time in addition to your emergency braking distance ahead of you then even if the car ahead of you comes to a dead stop right when you have your head turned for a split second to check your blind spot then you will still be able to come to a stop without hitting them when you bring your head back and react to what's going on, for example. Stack the odds in your favor, not against them. And don't let yourself be ruled by the dumb primitive impulses that tell you driving a car is always a race and you need to "win" and be aggressive and dominate others, etc, it's not any of those things, relax, concentrate on getting where you need to be safely.

P.S. Not checking your blind spots by turning your head is illegal in most states.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#84

Post by deltaecho1338 »

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.

My 2014 vehicle came like this from the manufacturer - the exterior 1/3 of the mirror is convex for a wider field of view.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#85

Post by AngryData »

kpsychwave wrote: post #45

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

I agree, except many times those blindspot mirrors are made WAY too small, of course I also think a number of cars just have too small of mirrors in the first place. They should be easily checkable with a glance, but those real tiny spot mirrors require significant focus to even tell what you are looking at.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#86

Post by kazinator »

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.

The article doesn't claim that you can adjust your mirrors such that shoulder checking is not required. Quote:

With the mirrors adjusted properly, a shoulder check to change lanes becomes more of a "shoulder peek", meaning you don't have to turn your head so far. That means your peripheral vision will still provide a view in front of you - no "blind spot" in front of you either, meaning less chance of rear-ending a vehicle that has suddenly stopped.

Note that no matter where you turn your head, you have blind spots, caused by the roof pillars of the vehicle. You also can't see a portion of the ground around your vehicle; that's also blind spots.

Blind spots are real; they are not just excuses.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#87

Post by felipemnoa »

baddox wrote: post #42
tinbad wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Then again, in my US driving test I was penalized (I still passed the test) for not looking over my shoulder before one lane change. It was a two-lane one-way road with zero traffic. 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. I'm definitely not still bitter.

>>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.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#88

Post by [deleted] »

ceejayoz wrote: post #13
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'm not clear on why you think this doesn't work to see lane-splitting motorcycles. The idea is to have them work like a dual monitor setup - when part of an object moves off one screen, it's just then becoming visible on the second screen. Most people set up their mirrors as if they wanted to read the same PDF on both screens simultaneously.

[deleted]

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#90

Post by deltaecho1338 »

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…

The Car Talk guys used to advocate for this method. I did it for a while, and liked it. Until I almost killed a motorcyclist.
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