One of the most difficult aspects of driving is handling your blind spots, as well as the blind spots of others. A lack of visibility when changing lanes leads to countless accidents each year. If you have a handle on them, however, potential accidents become easily avoidable. Here’s everything you need to know about blind spot monitoring.
Your car’s blind spots are the spaces on the left and right of the vehicle that you cannot see in your side or rearview mirrors. Drivers must physically turn their heads to see these spaces, which is essential when changing lanes or merging. A quick glance, in addition to looking at your mirrors, is all it takes to tackle these spots. However, there are a few things to know if you want to do this as safely as possible.
Before hitting the road, take a minute to make your blind spots as small as possible. Start with your left side mirror, slowly moving it until your own vehicle is no longer visible. The traditional position follows the side of your car, but that only allows you to see what’s behind you and a small fraction of cars beside you. The new adjustment broadens your visibility to the left side.
Now, move to the right side mirror. While the traditional position does allow you to see approaching vehicles on the side, it doesn’t let you know when they’re close enough to crash into if you change lanes. Do the same thing with your right mirror that you did with the left to correct this.
Finally, make sure your rearview mirror is capturing as much of the road behind you that it can. You can ensure all three are in the correct position by simply maintaining the position you use when driving. This makes it easier to tell where they would be when you need to rely on them.
Even with proper mirror alignment, you still have some blind spot area on either side of the car. Before making a lane switch or merging, check your mirrors first. Then, quickly turn your head to the same side you plan to turn to.
To goal is to look back over your shoulder through the side windows. Make sure to maintain your grip on the steering wheel and simply look back to see if there is or is not a vehicle in the blind spot. If you have a car with blind spot detection or a lane departure warning, make sure to rely on that in addition to looking over your shoulder.
Blind spots cause an alarming number of accidents, which makes it vital that drivers follow the tips above. This is especially essential for rideshare drivers, since they carry more passengers. Ask these auto accident attorneys in Orange County about the statistics for Uber and Lyft accidents.
By adjusting your mirrors properly and knowing how to look over your shoulder, you can ensure everyone’s safety on the road when you’re changing lanes or merging.
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